English Reference
noun · verb

fart

n. · v.
US /ˈfɑɹt/ UK /fˈɑːt/ fart UK spelling farted, farting, farts

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    n.the gas that comes out of your bottom.

    n.an emission of digestive gases from the anus.

    Simple

    The dog let out a loud fart and then ran out of the room.

    In context

    The comedian relied heavily on crude jokes about farts to get a reaction from the younger members of the audience.

    Usage

    Countable noun.

    gasflatulence
  2. 02 C1 Advanced InformalVulgar

    n.an annoying, boring, or unpleasant person.

    n.a derogatory term for an irritating, foolish, or contemptible person, often used in the phrase 'old fart'.

    Simple

    Stop being such a boring old fart and come out to the party with us.

    In context

    He was often dismissed as a grumpy old fart who refused to acknowledge any technological progress made in the last decade.

    Teacher's tip

    The phrase 'old fart' is a very common collocation used to describe an elderly person who is stubborn or out of touch.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalVulgar

    v.to let gas out of your bottom.

    v.to expel intestinal gas through the anus.

    Simple

    He tried not to fart during the quiet part of the movie.

    In context

    The patient complained of bloating and the frequent need to fart after consuming dairy products.

    Usage

    Intransitive verb.

    pass gas

Like my farts, my humour is largely unscripted.

The Guardian· 23 Aug 2026

From Middle English ferten, farten, from Old English feortan, from Proto-West Germanic fertan, from Proto-Germanic fertaną, from Proto-Indo-European perd-. The noun is from Middle English fert, fart, from the verb.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English fert
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated