What Does “Chuck sb up” Mean?
“Chuck sb up” is an informal British English phrasal verb meaning to cause someone to vomit or feel nauseous.
Introduction
The phrase “Chuck sb up” is commonly used in informal conversations to describe the act of making someone vomit. The “sb” stands for “somebody,” meaning it refers to a person. This phrase is mainly used in British English and often appears in casual or colloquial speech. Understanding the “Chuck sb up meaning” helps learners recognize when someone is talking about feeling sick or being sick because of something unpleasant, such as bad food or a strong smell. It’s a vivid way to express the physical reaction of retching or vomiting.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: chuck somebody up
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to cause someone to vomit
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Chuck sb up” is a transitive phrasal verb, so it always takes a direct object (somebody). The structure is:
- Subject + chuck + somebody + up
Example: The smell chucked me up.
Note: The phrasal verb is inseparable — you cannot place the object between “chuck” and “up.”
How to Use “Chuck sb up”?
Use this phrasal verb when you want to say that something causes a person to vomit. It’s often related to unpleasant tastes, smells, or feelings of sickness. Since it’s informal, it’s best used in casual conversations rather than formal writing.
It can be used in different tenses, for example:
- Past: The bad seafood chucked me up.
- Present: This smell always chucks me up.
- Future: That awful drink might chuck you up.
Examples
- The sight of the rotten food chucked her up immediately.
- Don’t eat that! It’ll chuck you up for sure.
- The strong smell of the chemicals chucked me up in the lab.
- He said the spicy curry nearly chucked him up last night.
- Chuck sb up in a sentence: The foul odor chucked me up quickly.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: The smell chucked up me.
Correct: The smell chucked me up. - Incorrect: She chucked up.
Correct: She chucked herself up (if reflexive), or simply “She vomited” (since “chuck sb up” needs an object).
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include:
- Throw up: More common and neutral, means to vomit or cause vomiting. “Chuck sb up” is more informal and British.
- Vomit: Formal and medical term.
- Be sick: British English for vomiting, but it doesn’t mean to cause someone else to vomit.
Unlike “throw up,” “chuck sb up” specifically means causing someone else to vomit, not the person vomiting themselves.
Common Collocations
- Chuck someone up
- Chuck me up
- Chuck her up
- Chuck him up
- Chuck them up
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of chuck sb up:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: That smell in the kitchen is awful.
Ben: Yeah, it almost chucked me up when I walked in.
Anna: I think something must have gone bad in the fridge.
Ben: Let’s check it before it chucks anyone else up.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct form of “chuck sb up”:
1. The terrible smell ______ me ______ as soon as I entered the room.
2. That spoiled milk almost ______ her ______ last night.
3. Be careful with that food; it could ______ you ______.
FAQs
- Q: Is “chuck sb up” formal?
A: No, it is informal and mostly used in casual speech. - Q: Can I say “chuck up” without an object?
A: Yes, “chuck up” alone means to vomit yourself, but “chuck sb up” means to cause someone else to vomit. - Q: Is “chuck sb up” used in American English?
A: It is mainly British English and less common in American English. - Q: Can “chuck sb up” be used metaphorically?
A: Usually no, it refers literally to vomiting. - Q: What is the difference between “throw up” and “chuck sb up”?
A: “Throw up” can refer to vomiting yourself or causing someone else to vomit. “Chuck sb up” specifically means causing someone else to vomit and is informal British English.
