stomach bug

noun

variants or less commonly stomach flu

plural stomach bugs also stomach flus

: a nonspecific usually contagious gastrointestinal illness that is marked by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping : gastroenteritis usually caused by a virus (such as a norovirus or rotavirus)

… suffering from a stomach bug and shin splints …

—Sally Jenkins

… middle-of-the-night emergencies: pesky high fevers, dehydration, stomach flus.

—Michael L. Diamond

—not used technically

Examples of stomach bug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Florida has also seen a jump in cases and is now reporting 106 cases of the stomach bug for 2026, similarly, with nearly all cases reported in June and July. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

The test is also not included on all standard lab workups for stomach bugs, and may require a special order from the doctor who suspects it. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 13 July 2026

The illness doesn’t spread from person to person like a respiratory virus or the norovirus, another stomach bug. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 10 July 2026

Just when the Athletics were finally starting to get healthy again, a stomach bug came biting. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stomach bug

• antidrug
• mealybug
• multidrug
• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug