# cough up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cough-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To reluctantly or unwillingly give.

## Examples

- I had to cough up fifty dollars for the ticket.
- You need to cough up the remote so I can watch my show.
- She coughs up the truth only when the police ask her direct questions.
- The company finally coughed up the money they owed after the lawyer sent them a formal letter.
- My brother finally had to cough up the car keys after I reminded him that it was my turn to drive to work.
- The landlord refused to fix the heater until the tenants coughed up the extra fee for the building repairs.
- Even though he lost the bet fairly, he still looks miserable every time he has to cough up the prize money.
- Despite his deep resentment toward the new tax laws, he eventually coughed up the required payment to avoid further legal complications.

## Origin

From Middle English *coughen up*, a compound of *cough* + *up*. The figurative sense of surrendering money or information was perhaps influenced by a phonetic or conceptual association with *coffers*, though the connection remains a matter of linguistic speculation rather than settled record. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.