The word vomit can be audacious, especially when you’re out and about. But, sometimes we can’t control the words we use, right? So, let’s learn some slang words you could use that are considered to be a little more subtle.
British Slang For Vomit (In Alphabetical Order)
Barf
Meaning:
- (Noun/Verb) The word ‘barf’ originated in the USA and is then adopted by the British as slang for ‘vomit’.
- Example: What did you do to have barf all over your clothes?
Chunder
Meaning:
- (Noun/Verb) Chunder is slang for vomit that originated in Australia. It means to throw up or vomit. Chunder can also be referred to as the contents of the vomit or the vomit itself.
- Example: There was chunder all over the bedroom after we partied all night long.
Honk
Meaning:
- (Noun/Verb) Honk is British slang for vomit or regurgitating one’s stomach contents. It is also a term used for an unknown bad smell in both the UK and Australia.
- Example: There was an immense amount of honk as he got sick from eating too much.
Puke
Meaning:
- (Noun/Verb) The term ‘puke’ or ‘puking’ came from the USA which means ‘vomit’ or ‘vomiting’. The term, later on, became slang in the British countries
- Example: Expect to find puke everywhere as I am sick and can’t keep my food down.
Retch
Meaning:
- (Transitive Verb) Retch originated in the UK and is often used as a British slang that means ‘vomit’ or ‘to make the effort to vomit’.
- Example: She kept retching the whole way from the airport to our hotel.
Shoot the cat
Meaning:
- ‘Shoot the cat’ is an obsolete British slang that means ‘to vomit a lot or a lot of times, especially if you’re seasick or inebriated. It is redirected from ‘shooting the cat’.
- Example: If possible, I avoid traveling by sea because I always shoot the cat.
Sick
Meaning:
- (Verb) In British countries, the word “sick” is used to describe the action of vomiting. “Sick” is a common slang word in the UK. In other countries, “sick” means “ill” or “unwell”.
- Example: She keeps getting sick and can’t keep her food down.
Spew
Meaning:
- (Noun) Spew describes the ejected contents of the stomach. It is used as British slang for the word ‘vomit’.
- Example: Spew was all over the floor of the room because my brother was out all night drinking.
Spit Up
Meaning:
- (Noun) The word ‘spit up’ originated in the USA that describes the contents a baby ejects from the mouth. It has been adapted as a slang word for ‘vomit’ in British countries.
- Example: You left a lot of spit up in the bathroom.
Vom
Meaning:
- (Noun) Derived from the word ‘vomit’, vom is commonly used as British slang for vomiting or vomit.
- Example: I don’t want to see vom all over my bathroom floor tomorrow when you get home from the club!
