1 B2 idiomatic informal
To vomit (British informal)
"The smell was so bad that she nearly chucked up right there in the street."
chuck up
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To vomit, or (informally) to quit or abandon something
In plain English
To be sick and have food come out of your mouth, or to stop doing something you were doing
What does "chuck up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To quit or abandon a job, course, or activity (British informal)
"He chucked up his acting career and went back to university."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Chuck up' literally suggests throwing something upward — in the vomiting sense, food comes up from the stomach
Actually means
To be sick and have food come out of your mouth, or to stop doing something you were doing
Usage tip
British English. The vomiting sense is the most common and is very informal — similar to 'throw up' or 'be sick'. The 'quit' sense overlaps with 'chuck in' and 'chuck it in'. Both senses are informal and should be avoided in formal situations.
Words that pair with "chuck up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
food drink stomach job course everything
How to conjugate "chuck up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
chuck up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
chucks up
he/she/it
Past simple
chucked up
yesterday
Past participle
chucked up
have + pp
-ing form
chucking up
continuous
Hear "chuck up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "chuck up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.