1 B1 informal
To vomit; to expel the contents of the stomach through the mouth.
"The baby sicked up some milk right after feeding."
separable
sick up
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To vomit; to bring food or liquid back up from the stomach through the mouth.
In plain English
To be sick and bring food back up out of your stomach.
What does "sick up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
To bring up a specific substance from the stomach involuntarily.
"The dog sicked up the bone it had swallowed."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move sickness upward and out — the physical direction of vomiting.
Actually means
To be sick and bring food back up out of your stomach.
Usage tip
Chiefly British English. Commonly used when talking about babies, young children, or animals. Slightly softer than 'throw up' or 'puke'. Rarely used in formal or medical contexts.
Words that pair with "sick up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
milk food breakfast medicine dinner baby
How to conjugate "sick up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sick up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sicks up
he/she/it
Past simple
sicked up
yesterday
Past participle
sicked up
have + pp
-ing form
sicking up
continuous
Hear "sick up" in the wild
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