hughie: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low; slang/regional usage.Informal, colloquial, possibly dated; often found in Australian/British slang.
Quick answer
What does “hughie” mean?
To vomit.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To vomit; to be sick.
Slang for the act of vomiting, often used informally or humorously. The term can also imply a state of being severely nauseated.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily known in British and Australian slang; rare or absent in mainstream American English.
Connotations
Humorous, informal, and slightly old-fashioned. Less clinical than 'vomit'.
Frequency
Very low frequency overall; more likely encountered in older British/Australian texts or specific regional dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “hughie” in a Sentence
Subject + hughie (intransitive)Subject + hughie + up + Object (transitive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hughie” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- After that fifth pint, he went outside to hughie.
- I think I'm going to hughie up my dinner.
American English
- He drank too much and spent the night hughieing. (Rare in US)
adjective
British English
- He had a hughie-inducing hangover.
- The smell was absolutely hughie-making.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Informal conversation among friends, often humorously describing illness from drink or food.
Technical
Not used; medical terms like 'emesis' are preferred.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hughie”
- Using it in formal writing.
- Assuming it's a standard term known to all English speakers.
- Treating it as a noun only (it is primarily a verb).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency slang term, primarily found in British and Australian informal speech. It is not part of standard vocabulary.
Its primary use is as a verb ('to hughie'), but it can be found in nominalized forms in fixed phrases like 'chuck a hughie'.
It is not inherently offensive but is very informal and somewhat jocular. It would be inappropriate in serious or formal contexts.
The etymology is uncertain. It is likely a slang formation, possibly rhyming slang or a euphemistic personification, but established dictionaries list it as slang without a definitive origin.
To vomit.
Hughie is usually informal, colloquial, possibly dated; often found in australian/british slang. in register.
Hughie: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhjuː.i/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhjuː.i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To call/to cry/to shout Hughie: To vomit (Aus slang).”
- “Chuck a hughie: To vomit.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a man named 'Hughie' who drank too much and was very sick. 'Hughie' sounds like 'heave' and 'ew'.
Conceptual Metaphor
VOMITING IS SUMMONING/CALLING UPON A PERSON (Hughie).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'hughie' most appropriately used?