6 Words For The Sound Of Throwing Up (Vomit Onomatopoeia)

Using onomatopoeia (words that refer to sounds) to talk about certain situations is a great way to spice up your writing. This article will explore the best vomit onomatopoeia you can use when talking about someone being sick and the sounds they make.

What Are The Best Ways To Spell The Sound Of Throwing Up?

There are a few great options out there, but the ones we will focus on the most include:

  • Blech
  • Blargh
  • Gack
  • Retching noises
  • Barf
  • Keck
What Are The Best Ways To Spell The Sound Of Throwing Up?

The preferred version is “blech” because it’s the most common one you’ll come across in most writing. There is also a suitable definition attributed to the onomatopoeia word, which closely links it to the action of vomiting (which is why it’s popular).

Blech

Let’s start with the preferred version and how we can use it to our advantage.

“Blech” is the best vomit onomatopoeia we can use because it closely resembles the sound that people make when forced to be sick. If you think back to how it might sound, you might be able to pinpoint the “blech” noise that people make.

The definition of “blech,” according to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “used to express disgust.”

Since vomit comes from deep within and we’re often forced to remove it from our system, we don’t have much control over the noise it makes. Also, since it’s generally considered a very disgusting way to pass fluid, people like to use the more disgusting words like “blech” to talk about it.

You might see it work in the following ways:

  1. Blech! I can’t eat this; it’s disgusting!
  2. All I heard was “Blech!” and then he passed out.
  3. Blech! You can’t possibly be serious about eating that.
  4. Blech! I feel so sick after all that drinking last night.

Blargh

“Blargh” follows similar tones and trends to “blech.” In the age of the internet, it’s definitely risen in popularity, and we’ll touch on it now.

“Blargh” is the most popular choice for the sound of vomiting on the internet. It’s common to see with internet memes that show someone vomiting in some way. It again references the disgusting, involuntary noises people make when being sick.

You might notice that the “bl” start of the words is common here. The “bl” sound is what first comes out of someone before the vomit hits the bottom of a bin or toilet bowl. That’s why it’s so common to use “blech” or “blargh.”

You might see it in the following ways:

  1. Blargh! That’s disgusting! I think I need to vomit.
  2. Blargh! I’m so sorry if you had to hear that!
  3. Blargh! I can’t stand the sight of that.
  4. Blargh! Too much blood for me to handle.

Gack

“Gack” is another great noise we can use to associate with the sound of vomiting.

“Gack” works well when someone’s vomit takes them by surprise. It’s supposed to show that the vomiting action was over quickly, and there wasn’t much they could do about stopping it. We could also use it to show more of a gagging reflex than a vomiting action.

“Gack” is generally a quick sound. It comes out of our mouth quickly, and then our mouth snaps shut. This is another reflex someone might exhibit after being sick, which is why “gack” works.

It can work as follows:

  1. Gack! I can hardly breathe because I feel so sick!
  2. Gack! I’m so sorry if anyone has to go in that toilet after me.
  3. He said, “Gack!” as if I’d offended his sense of taste.
  4. Gack! Why would you do something like that? You know I’m squeamish!

Retching Noises

While not strictly onomatopoeia, using “retching noises” to talk about the sounds someone makes while vomiting is still very common in English.

“Retching noises” (or “sounds of retching”) are common phrases we can use to talk about the sound someone makes while being sick. They’re also commonly written to talk about it and are typical in transcriptions like subtitles in film and TV.

We can describe vomiting noises in this way because many native speakers know what “retching” means. When they see it written down, they’ll understand exactly what is happening.

Retching noises may appear in the following ways:

  1. All I could hear was retching noises from the other room.
  2. He made retching noises until the poison was finally out of him.
  3. Those retching noises were almost too much to handle.
  4. You could hear the sounds of retching coming out of the other room.

Barf

“Barf” is another great word we can use to talk about the noise that someone makes while being sick.

“Barf” is similar to the sound someone will make when being sick. The “b” at the start of the word is what’s important here, in the same way as “blech” or “blargh.” The “b” is supposed to represent the projectile and unstoppable force of our vomit.

The definition of “barf,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to vomit.”

“Barf” is another option that comes with a definition, making it a decent and officially recognized onomatopoeia word.

You could use it as follows:

  1. Barf! I’d rather not eat anything you’ve provided, thank you.
  2. Barf! That’s far too much for me!
  3. Barf! I can’t take another minute of this!
  4. Barf! I really need to go to the toilet; otherwise, I’m going to vomit everywhere.

Keck

While not as common as the others, “keck” is another great onomatopoeia word we can use. It also has its own definition that we can utilize.

“Keck” is similar to “gack.” It refers to a quick noise that comes out of someone when they’re being sick. It’s mostly associated with a feeling of nausea, which means that someone is more common to gag rather than actually vomit.

The definition of “keck,” according to The Collins Dictionary, is “to retch or feel nausea.”

It can work as follows:

  1. Keck! I didn’t want to hear about any of that!
  2. Keck! Why would you say something like that to me?
  3. Keck! How disgusting!
  4. Keck! I think I’m going to be sick again.

You may also like: 10 Euphemisms For Diarrhea To Use When Calling In Sick