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Definition of puke

puke

/pjuːk/
puke
Plural:pukes
•
Adjective:pukey
•
Past Simple:puked
•
Past Participle:puked
•
Present Participle:puking
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puke Lexical Profile

puke Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Matter ejected from the stomach through the mouth; vomit, or an act of vomiting (informal).

Example

"The janitor had to clean up the puke in the school hallway after the student fell ill."

2

North American A contemptible, obnoxious, or despicable person (slang).

Example

"He acted like an arrogant little puke throughout the entire negotiation."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for puke

• verb

1

To eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth; to vomit (informal).

Example

"The rough ocean waves made several passengers on the ferry feel dizzy and puke."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for puke
Antonyms
View all antonyms for puke

Word Nuance & Usage

While originally introduced into literary English by William Shakespeare in 'As You Like It' (1600), 'puke' is now strictly informal or slang in contemporary usage; in medical or formal contexts, 'vomit' or 'emesis' is strongly preferred.

• Rhymes for puke

• Nearby Words

pug-headed snake
pugnacious
puh
puke
puker
pukey
puku

Word Origin & Etymology

First recorded around 1600 in Shakespeare's 'As You Like It', likely of imitative origin representing the sound of retching, or related to Low German 'spucken' (to spit).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Puke. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/puke
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