Vomiting: meaning, definitions and examples

General medical term for the act of expelling contents from the stomach through the mouth. Neutral tone, often used in both casual and formal contexts.

• She started vomiting after eating some bad sushi.
• The doctor noted that frequent vomiting could be a symptom of a serious illness.

Formal medical term for vomiting, typically used by healthcare professionals in a clinical or medical context.

• The patient experienced emesis following the chemotherapy session.
• The nurse recorded the incidence of emesis in the patient’s chart.

Casual or informal term for vomiting, commonly used in everyday conversation. Generally has a more colloquial tone.

• I felt so sick after the roller coaster ride, I couldn’t stop throwing up.
• He’s been throwing up all night after eating too much at the party.

Often used in both medical and non-medical contexts, it refers to the process in which food or liquid moves back up from the stomach into the mouth unintentionally. Can have a neutral or slightly unpleasant tone.

• The baby’s regurgitation was normal after feeding.
• The condition causes the regurgitation of food, leading to discomfort.

This is a medical or formal term. It is often used in clinical settings or in a more formal context to describe the act of forcefully expelling the contents of the stomach.

• The patient has been vomiting for the past two days
• If vomiting persists, you should consult a doctor

This term is more informal and somewhat harsh or graphic. It can be used in casual speech but often has a negative or uncomfortable connotation.

• He was so nervous about his speech that he started puking
• The smell was so bad it made me want to puke

This is a casual and somewhat slang term. It is often used in informal conversations, usually between friends or peers. It can have a playful or negative connotation depending on context.

• I can't believe I ate so much cake; I feel like barfing
• After the roller coaster ride, he started barfing

This is a common, informal term that is frequently used in everyday conversation. It is neutral and widely understood.

• I think I caught the stomach flu; I've been throwing up all morning
• After eating the bad sushi, she started throwing up