# Ralph

/ˈɹæɫf/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ralph
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to vomit

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

to be sick or vomit, often because you drank too much alcohol or ate something bad.

For teachers: to vomit; often used in the context of illness or excessive alcohol consumption.

- He ran to the bathroom to ralph after eating that old seafood.
- The teenager spent the rest of the night in the bathroom, having started to ralph shortly after the party ended.

Usage: The verb is intransitive and does not require an object.

Teaching tip: This is a very informal and somewhat graphic term; it is best avoided in professional or polite social settings.

### 2. a male name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a man.

For teachers: a male given name of Germanic origin, meaning 'counsel wolf'.

- My uncle Ralph lives in a small house by the sea.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson was a famous American essayist and philosopher during the nineteenth century.

Usage: Always capitalized as it is a proper noun.

## Examples

- He felt like he was going to ralph after that huge meal.
- The smell of the old fish made him run to the bathroom to ralph.
- After a night of excessive indulgence at the carnival, several teenagers were seen leaning over the fence to ralph into the bushes.

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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.