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
But even the reviewers who run into that hiccup still keep it because of how unbelievably cute the sign is with their favorite flowers. Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023 While the finished design looks absolutely charming, the project wasn’t without hiccups. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023 Electric vehicles are losing their luster as major automakers grapple with waning customer demand and the realization that mass adoption of EVs won’t happen without some hiccups. Bypaige Hagy, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2023 Just try not to let the hiccups and disruptions of life get in the way of your enjoying all of the beautiful things around you. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2023 One hiccup is that the technology behind the current Alexa tends to be good at different things than the technology behind the new Alexa. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023 Rusty Bell, the director of the Office of Economic Transformation at the Gillette College Foundation in Wyoming, thinks the administration’s climate push is destined for such hiccups. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023 But there was a hiccup: lower managerial satisfaction. Bygleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2023 There have been some hiccups in the crew’s quick ascent. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2023
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 See More

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 6 Dec. 2023.

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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