verb

spew

spyoo

Spew (verb) means to eject or gush out forcefully in a stream. Example: “Thick smoke spewed from the factory chimney.”

verb

To eject or gush out forcefully in a stream.

"Thick smoke spewed from the factory chimney."

"Lava spewed from the volcano for hours."

To produce a large, careless stream of words, especially nonsense or hateful comments.

"He spewed insults at anyone who disagreed with him."

To vomit.

"She felt so sick on the boat that she spewed over the side."

How to use spew

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo gush or shoot out forcefully — smoke, lava, words, or (informally) vomit.

When to use it

Using "spew" for vomiting is informal/slang.

Common pairings

spew smoke spew nonsense spew hate

Word forms

spewed past tense, spewn past tense, spews plural, spews singular

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Thick smoke _____ from the factory chimney.

Etymology

From Old English spīwan, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną — related to English "spit" and German speien, all going back to an ancient root meaning "to spit or vomit."

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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sick cat cast chuck spit purge vomit puke barf honk spue eruct

Related words

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Rhymes for spew

pew

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Frequently asked questions

What does “spew” mean?

The word “spew” means to eject or gush out forcefully in a stream. In plain terms, to gush or shoot out forcefully — smoke, lava, words, or (informally) vomit.

How do you pronounce “spew”?

“Spew” is pronounced spyoo (/spjuː/ in IPA).

How do you use “spew” in a sentence?

Here is “spew” used in a sentence: “Thick smoke spewed from the factory chimney.”

What part of speech is “spew”?

“Spew” is a verb.

Where does the word “spew” come from?

The word “spew” comes from Old English. From Old English spīwan, from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną — related to English "spit" and German speien, all going back to an ancient root meaning "to spit or vomit.".

How many meanings does “spew” have?

“Spew” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to eject or gush out forcefully in a stream.

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