Regurgitate: meaning, definitions and examples

Typically used in a medical or scientific context to describe the process of bringing swallowed food back to the mouth. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate someone repeating information without understanding it fully.

• Certain birds can regurgitate food to feed their young.
• Students often regurgitate facts from the textbook without truly understanding the material.

Typically used in everyday language to describe the act of forcefully expelling contents of the stomach through the mouth. It has a more vivid and sometimes negative connotation.

• He felt nauseous and had to run to the bathroom to vomit.
• The ride was so intense that several people started to vomit.

Commonly used in a casual context and usually refers to babies expelling small amounts of milk or food.

• The baby tends to spit up after every feeding.
• It's normal for infants to spit up occasionally, especially if they have eaten too much.

Often used in a more formal or literary context, and can describe the forceful or involuntary expulsion of contents from the stomach or other container.

• The ship was quick to disgorge its cargo at the port.
• After the bus ride, many passengers disembarked and started to disgorge their breakfast on the sidewalk.

Useful when talking about repeating information parrot-like without understanding it, often in a negative sense.

• He could only regurgitate what he read in the textbook without any critical thinking.
• The professor complained that students were just regurgitating facts during the exams.

Best used when describing someone who repeats something they have heard or learned without understanding, often implying a lack of originality.

• She just parrots whatever the boss says without really knowing what it means.
• Kids often parrot phrases they hear from adults.

Appropriate for situations where someone is repeating text or speech from memory, usually verbatim.

• She could recite the poem flawlessly from heart.
• During the ceremony, they asked him to recite the pledge.

Used when someone is repeating a statement or opinion for emphasis or clarity, and usually implies a deliberate action.

• The manager had to reiterate the company's policy on punctuality.
• He reiterated his commitment to the cause during the meeting.