What does puking mean?
Puking is an informal word for vomiting, meaning the physical act of emptying the stomach. It is commonly used in expressions such as “feel like puking,” where it describes nausea rather than an actual episode, and it can also convey disgust: a person may say that an idea or performance made them feel like puking. The word often carries a blunt, humorous, or contemptuous tone, so neutral or formal writing generally prefers “vomiting,” “retching,” or “throwing up.” Puking is also used figuratively for something intensely bad or exaggerated, as in “the puking heat,” and may express an exaggerated dislike of another person. Although its sound may suggest severity, it remains everyday vocabulary rather than a clinical term. It is especially characteristic of speech, though it is understood in both British and American English.
verb (present participle and gerund)Vomiting; ejecting the contents of the stomach. The word is informal and is often used contemptuously of a person or situation.
- To vomit, or eject the contents of the stomach.
"He doubled over, puking into the grass beside the path."
"The smoke was so thick that she was coughing and puking in the corridor."
"The criticism made the critics sound like they were puking with envy."
It is blunt and unmistakably informal: when a situation is so unpleasant that it makes someone puke, the reaction needs no explanation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does puking come from?
Puking is formed from the informal verb puke, with -ing marking ongoing or habitual action. The verb puke is of uncertain origin and is attested in English by the late sixteenth century; claims that it borrowed a specific foreign word are not sufficiently secure to state as fact.
Related word forms
How puking is actually used
This is informal and often contemptuous or humorous. In more formal contexts, use “vomiting,” “retching,” or “throwing up,” depending on the intended tone.
Easily confused with puking
Puking means vomiting, whereas poking means prodding, pushing, or moving something with a pointed object.