regorge: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low FrequencyFormal, Literary, Archaic
Quick answer
What does “regorge” mean?
To vomit, disgorge, or throw up (contents).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To vomit, disgorge, or throw up (contents).
To flow or pour back, as in a river overflowing its banks; also, to gulp food or drink hastily (archaic).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in both variants.
Connotations
In both, it carries a formal or technical tone. The 'vomit' sense is graphic.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech in both dialects. More likely found in older literature or technical/medical writing.
Grammar
How to Use “regorge” in a Sentence
Noun Phrase (Subject) + regorge + Noun Phrase (Object)It + regorge + Noun Phrase (Object)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “regorge” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient began to regorge the medicine almost immediately.
- After the flash flood, the river regorged its murky waters across the fields.
American English
- The medication caused him to violently regorge his meal.
- The drainage system failed and regorged sewage into the street.
adverb
British English
- (No adverbial form.)
American English
- (No adverbial form.)
adjective
British English
- (No common adjectival form. 'Regorging' as a participle adjective is rare, e.g., 'the regorging river'.)
American English
- (No common adjectival form.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Potentially in medical/biological texts describing processes of expulsion. Very rare.
Everyday
Almost never used. 'Sick up' or 'throw up' are standard.
Technical
Used in medical or geological contexts (e.g., describing a volcano or river action).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “regorge”
- Using it in casual conversation.
- Confusing it with 'gorge' (to eat greedily).
- Incorrect stress: pronouncing it as 'RE-gorge' instead of 're-GORGE'.
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'He regorged') is less standard.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and mostly found in formal, literary, or technical writing. Learners should prioritise 'vomit', 'be sick', or 'throw up'.
Meaning is nearly identical, but 'regorge' is much more formal, clinical, and archaic. 'Vomit' is the standard term.
Yes, in very specialised contexts it can mean for a river or pipe to flow back or overflow, but this usage is extremely rare.
Primarily transitive. It requires an object (what is being vomited or disgorged).
To vomit, disgorge, or throw up (contents).
Regorge is usually formal, literary, archaic in register.
Regorge: in British English it is pronounced /riːˈɡɔːdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /riˈɡɔːrdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(None - word is too rare for fixed idioms.)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a gorge (deep valley) that RE-fills, causing it to overflow and spill its contents back out. 'RE-GORGE' = to gorge again/back out.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BODY IS A CONTAINER; EXPULSION IS REVERSED INGESTION.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'regorge' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?