spew

1 of 2

verb

ˈspyü 

spewed; spewing; spews

intransitive verb

1

: vomit

2

: to come forth in a flood or gush

3

: to ooze out as if under pressure : exude

transitive verb

1

: vomit

2

: to send or cast forth with vigor or violence or in great quantity

a volcano spewing out ash

—often used with out

spewer noun

spew

2 of 2

noun

1

: matter that is vomited : vomit

2

: material that exudes or is extruded

Synonyms of spew

Verb

• pour
• rush
• stream

Examples of spew in a Sentence

Verb

Exhaust spewed out of the car.

Smoke and ashes spewed from the volcano.

The volcano spewed hot ash.

The faucet started spewing dirty water.

The dog spewed vomit on the rug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Esmeralda Upton, authorities said, spewed hate and assaulted the women in the parking lot of a Plano restaurant. —Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Or spew lava from the sideline or behind a microphone. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 2026

Noun

The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026

Your digestive system spews from both ends. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English spīwan; akin to Old High German spīwan to spit, Latin spuere, Greek ptyein

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for spew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

spew

1 of 2 verb

ˈspyü 

: to send or come out in a flood or gush

spew

2 of 2 noun

: matter that is spewed out