What does ging mean?
Ging is a chiefly Scottish informal verb meaning “to vomit” or “to retch.” It is used when someone brings up stomach contents, often because of illness, motion, alcohol, or extreme distress. The expression “ging it up” means to vomit forcefully, while “ging your guts up” is a more emphatic version. Because ging is regionally marked and blunt, it is more likely to appear in casual speech, comedy, or direct description than in formal writing. It is not generally used as a neutral medical term; “vomit” or “be sick” will usually sound more neutral in formal English. The word nevertheless gives Scottish speakers a vivid, economical way to describe a forceful bodily reaction, and its rough directness gives it a distinctly informal, sometimes comic register.
verbTo vomit; to retch or be sick. It is chiefly an informal Scottish-English usage.
- To vomit; to retch or be sick.
"She felt ill and had to ging outside the restaurant."
"I thought I was going to ging, so I went outside."
"He was ginging his guts up after the bumpy journey."
One letter separates ging from gin, but in Scottish slang it points in a decidedly less elegant direction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ging
Ging is a dialectal English verb associated particularly with Scotland, where it is used for vomiting or retching. Its detailed historical derivation is obscure, and it is best understood as a distinctly Scots form rather than as standard vocabulary shared throughout English.
How ging is actually used
Strongly informal, blunt, and regionally marked. In formal English, “vomit” or “be sick” will usually be preferred.
Easily confused with ging
Gin is an alcoholic spirit, whereas ging is Scottish slang for vomiting or retching.