ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chuck up

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford British English Informal Slang

phr. v.. to vomit — an informal, casual way to talk about being sick.

phr. v.. to vomit; marked British informal / slang, generally inappropriate in formal or medical writing, where 'vomit' or 'be sick' is preferred.


SIMPLE

He chucked up after eating the bad curry.

CONTEXTUAL

Three pints in, his mate chucked up all over the taxi and had to pay for the cleaning.

COMPLEX

The cadet, unused to the heaving deck, chucked up over the railing while his instructor looked on with weary amusement.

Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
chuck + up
Usage

strongly marked register — avoid in formal contexts and outside British English.

Teaching tip

align with other British informal terms for vomiting ('throw up', 'be sick', 'puke'); useful for teaching register stacking since 'chuck up' sits below 'throw up' in formality.

Pitfall

The doctor asked if the patient had chucked up.The doctor asked if the patient had vomited.'chuck up' is too informal for medical or formal registers; learners should reach for 'vomit' or 'be sick' in those contexts.

© 2026 English Reference