What does yuked mean?
Yuked is the simple past and past participle of the informal verb yuk. It has two closely related uses. In its expressive sense, it means to make a “yuk” sound indicating disgust, and it is often used when something appears revolting, silly, or overdone. In its more physical sense, it means to vomit or retch. The word is especially associated with casual, comic, or exaggerated language rather than formal medical or culinary description. It occurs in both British and American English, although the spelling yuck is also widely used and may be more familiar to many speakers. Because yuked can convey either a verbal reaction or an actual episode of nausea, context matters: “the whole table yukked” can describe collective disgust or, less literally, vomiting. Its brevity and expressiveness make it useful in informal writing and dialogue, where a stronger phrase such as “expressed disgust” would sound comparatively stiff.
verb (past tense and past participle)To utter an expression of disgust; in informal use, also to vomit or retch.
- To make a short, disgusted-sounding exclamation indicating revulsion or disapproval.
- To vomit or retch.
"The diners yukked at the sight of the unidentifiable stew."
"She yukked in disgust when she saw what was left in the refrigerator."
"After tasting the suspect sauce, he yukked and reached for the bin."
Yuk compresses both physical nausea and performative disgust into one instantly recognizable syllable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yuked
Yuk is an imitative English word, formed to represent a sound of disgust or nausea. Its development also reflects the tendency to turn such sounds into verbs describing the reaction that produces them. Yuck is a close spelling variant sharing the same imitative origin.
Related word forms
How yuked is actually used
Informal and often humorous or exaggerated. In the expressive sense, it can describe a reaction to something revolting, silly, or excessive; in the physical sense, it refers to vomiting or retching. It is more common in casual speech and writing than in formal description.
Easily confused with yuked
“Yucked” is an alternative spelling of “yukked,” with the same pronunciation and meaning.