barf

verb

ˈbärf 

barfed; barfing; barfs

intransitive verb

US, informal : vomit

Acute mountain sickness is typified by a headache that feels as if Thor himself is hammering your brain and by a strong desire to barf.

—Douglas Gantenbein

In a pure Madonna moment, she sticks two fingers down her throat and pretends to barf.

—Peter Travers

barf noun US, informal

"Lemme take you to the bar," he yells to a guest who bellies up and immediately skids in a puddle of barf.

—Guy Trebay

Synonyms

• gag
• heave
• hurl
• puke
• retch
• spew
• spit up
• throw up
• upchuck
• vomit

Examples of barf in a Sentence

The movie was so disgusting that it made me want to barf.

the movie's in-your-face violence made us want to barf

Recent Examples on the Web

Samantha barfs up some black bile, and Zoe’s sycophants eat her skin at a dinner party in a bit that briefly frames her as a Christ figure but doesn’t go anywhere. —Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024

Particularly upsetting and painful are the scenes where Bloom binges and purges, swallowing a candy bar before barfing it back down the toilet. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024

Like poop in the living room, pee on the couch and barf on the rug. —Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024

Screaming in hieroglyphs, tearing space open, barfing lava and pissing neon. —Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 23 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing barf

• barf bag

Kids Definition

barf

verb

ˈbärf 

informal

: vomit entry 2