What does hiccupping mean?
Hiccupping is the present participle of “hiccup,” meaning to produce a short, sharp sound caused by an abrupt, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. Hiccups typically recur several times, often at irregular intervals, and may accompany a gulp, a laugh, or a sudden interruption in speech. The word is used in both everyday and literary contexts: a narrator might describe a character as “hiccupping every other word,” while a medical account might discuss persistent hiccupping as a symptom. Although the form sounds ordinary, it is useful because it clearly describes an action in progress rather than naming a single hiccup or the medical condition associated with repeated hiccups. In everyday speech, people usually say “hiccup” rather than using the longer inflected form.
verbMaking a short, sharp sound in the throat, usually repeatedly and involuntarily, as a hiccup.
- Making the short, sharp vocal sound or repeated sounds caused by an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm.
"She kept hiccupping throughout the comic performance."
"He was hiccupping so frequently that he ordered water."
"The narrator spent the scene hiccupping every other word."
A hiccup is a tiny sound with a dramatic cause: the diaphragm suddenly contracts, pulling air across the vocal cords.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hiccupping come from?
The verb and noun “hiccup” have the same origin, with the present participle “hiccupping” formed by adding the standard inflectional ending. The word was historically also written “hickup” and “hiccough,” preserving an older vowel and consonant pattern that survives in the variant “hiccough.” Its precise origin is uncertain, though the spelling and pronunciation became established in modern English.
Related word forms
How hiccupping is actually used
Usually describes the production of hiccups and often implies that they occur repeatedly. The simple form “hiccup” is more common in general use.