hiccup

1 of 2

noun

hic·​cup ˈhi-(ˌ)kəp How to pronounce hiccup (audio)
variants or less commonly hiccough
1
: a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound
2
: an attack of hiccuping
usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
3
a
: a slight irregularity, error, or malfunction
a few hiccups in the computer system
b
: a usually minor and short-lived interruption or disruption, or change
a hiccup in the stock market

hiccup

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly hiccough
hiccuped also hiccupped; hiccuping also hiccupping

intransitive verb

: to make a hiccup
also : to be affected with hiccups

Examples of hiccup in a Sentence

Noun Our computer problems were caused by a hiccup in the power supply. The stock market has continued to rise, except for a slight hiccup earlier this month.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Despite Photo Controversy, Says Source However, speculation surfaced as some wondered if the picture was edited due to several inconsistencies such as the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand, Prince Louis’ sweater pattern and blurring around Princess Kate’s hair, among other hiccups. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 This playful romp, complete with chirpy hiccups, was sniffed at as crass and materialistic by critics waiting for another reason to resist Madonna's mania in 1984. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 Even though the parks offer numerous resources for parents and guardians of young children, like baby care centers and rider switch services at attractions, there will inevitably be hiccups with young kids. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 And things did get better, despite the occasional hiccup. Alexandra S. Levine, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Wizz is currently taking a break from the app stores due to a technical hiccup. Ben Goggin, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2024 Will these changes in leadership and tactics induce hiccups and inconsistent form for the Loons in 2024? Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2024 Suffice to say, next year could make the 2008 Lehman Brothers crisis seem like a financial hiccup. William Pesek, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Gina Raimondo, the secretary of commerce, said on Sunday that the award to GlobalFoundries would help secure a stable supply of chips for key auto suppliers and manufacturers, and prevent supply chain hiccups. Don Clark, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Sometimes the music seems to hiccup into silence, as if nitrogen bubbles flowed through its bloodstream. Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2023 Some babies hiccup frequently, even multiple times a day. Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 10 Aug. 2023 If your baby starts hiccupping during feeding, wait until the hiccups are gone to continue feeding.5 Treatment Typical hiccups that last for less than 48 hours are medically termed acute hiccups. Jessica Migala, Health, 6 Aug. 2023 The batteries were also crucial to keeping the power on when a nuclear plant hiccuped and went offline earlier in the week, said Doug Lewin, a Texas energy consultant. Evan Halper, Washington Post, 24 June 2023 The voice hiccupped, almost as if the man were struggling. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Apr. 2023 There’s a good movie to be made about podcasts that traffic in unsolved mysteries where hosts rank cliffhangers and that hiccuping dramatic cadence over journalism. Amy Nicholson, Variety, 17 Mar. 2023 The model and television personality, 37, posted a sweet video of her 1-month-old daughter looking cozy on top of a gray blanket with a white bib, lightly hiccuping as she was being fed milk. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2023 Often when someone starts to hiccup, a debate begins among everyone nearby over which home remedy is the true cure. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 4 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hiccup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hiccup was circa 1580

Dictionary Entries Near hiccup

Cite this Entry

“Hiccup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hiccup. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hiccup

1 of 2 noun
hic·​cup
variants also hiccough
: a sudden drawing in of breath that is followed and stopped by sudden closure of the glottis and accompanied by a gulping sound

hiccup

2 of 2 verb
variants also hiccough
hiccuped also hiccupped; hiccuping also hiccupping
: to make a hiccup or be affected with hiccups

Medical Definition

hiccup

1 of 2 noun
hic·​cup
variants also hiccough
1
: a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound
2
: an attack of hiccuping
usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
severe hiccups is sometimes seen after operationLancet
intractable hiccup … may be successfully treatedJournal of the American Medical Association

hiccup

2 of 2 intransitive verb
variants also hiccough
hiccuped also hiccupped or hiccoughed; hiccuping also hiccupping or hiccoughing
: to make a hiccup
also : to be affected with hiccups
hiccuper noun
also hiccougher

More from Merriam-Webster on hiccup

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