Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

puke

American  
[pyook] / pyuk /

verb (used with or without object)

puked, puking

  1. to vomit.

noun

  1. vomit.

    1. any food or drink that is repulsive.

    2. anything or anyone that is contemptible or worthless.

puke British  
/ pjuːk /

verb

  1. to vomit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of vomiting

  2. the matter vomited

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does puke mean? Puke is one of the many informal ways to refer to vomit.

Etymology

Origin of puke

First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps imitative of the sound

Vocabulary lists containing puke

Excerpt from "Brothers"

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2024

Cleaning up after the birds is an awful job: “Two to 3 inches of guano, these birds puke a lot, you get your flies, maggots — it makes you gag,” McFadden said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 21, 2024

Guy ran flat-out for 200 yards, so full of primal terror that a fountain of puke started erupting out of his guts all over the fairway as he was running.

From Salon • Nov. 13, 2023

Was the jury room drowning in rivers of puke?

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2023

Despite the flash puke incident, Sir Fig Newton was getting better.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.