What does barf mean?
"Barf" is an informal term meaning to vomit — to expel the contents of the stomach through the mouth, typically when feeling nauseated. It functions both as a verb ("I think I'm going to barf") and, less commonly, as a noun referring to the vomited matter itself. The word emerged in American slang in the mid-twentieth century and is generally regarded as crude but harmless: it is common in casual speech, comedy, and among children, yet it would be out of place in professional writing or medical settings, where "vomit" serves as the neutral standard term. Alongside close cousins like "throw up," "puke," and "heave," barf occupies the middle ground of everyday registers — more graphic than "be sick" in British usage, but far milder than vulgar alternatives. Its most enduring cultural footprint may be the airsickness pouch, universally nicknamed the "barf bag." For anyone writing dialogue, humor, or casual prose, barf is the go-to word when a blunt, slightly comic note is wanted.
To vomit; to eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth.
"He drank spoiled milk and spent the night barfing into the toilet."
Intransitive in standard use; occasionally transitive in very casual speech.
Vomit; matter ejected from the stomach.
"There was barf on the pavement outside the pub."
Less common than the verbal use; distinctly crude.
"Barf" first showed up in American slang around the 1950s — and it gave us the airline sick bag, officially known as a "barf bag."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of barf
"Barf" is of uncertain origin, first recorded in American English in the mid-twentieth century, with attestations from around the 1940s–1950s. Many etymologists consider it expressive or imitative in character, coined within colloquial speech rather than descended from an older word. No established cognates in other languages are known.
Related word forms
How barf is actually used
Informal American slang, now also understood in British English. Considered crude but not obscene — acceptable in casual conversation and comedy, but avoided in formal or medical contexts, where "vomit" is preferred.
Easily confused with barf
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat used for carrying cargo on rivers and canals, while 'barf' means to vomit.