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

But after some tweaks, DJ Tori — name courtesy of Mottla — improved and premiered last year, spewing factoids about bands and records and spouting saucy banter. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025

Baja Blast droplets and damp crumbles of Cinnamon Twists spew across the room. —Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025

Noun

Auroras can be seen in the south when the sun spews a particularly large coronal mass. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025

Hart will insult Hammerstein as a third-rate talent and then, upon being face-to-face with his rival, spews over-the-top compliments. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025

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