cough up Meaning & Definition
What Does Cough Up Mean?
Cough Up is a verb that means To expel from the lungs, throat, stomach, etc. by coughing. It can also mean To reluctantly or unwillingly give. Of money: to pay or disburse reluctantly.
Word Facts for Cough Up
| Part of speech | verb |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | fork out, fork over and shell out |
| Verb forms | coughs up, coughing up, coughed up |
Cough Up Definition (Verb)
- To expel from the lungs, throat, stomach, etc. by coughing.
He was coughing up blood.
- To reluctantly or unwillingly give.
Of money: to pay or disburse reluctantly.
Do you think he'll be able to cough up the three grand by Tuesday?
- Of money: to pay or disburse reluctantly.
Do you think he'll be able to cough up the three grand by Tuesday?
- Of other objects: to hand over, give.
- To confess; to give up information.
- To lose a competition by one's own mistakes, usually near the end of the contest.
That team had the game won, but they coughed it up in the end.
- To spill, to fumble.
Verb
- To expel from the lungs, throat, etc. by coughing
He was coughing up blood.
- To reluctantly or unwillingly give
Synonyms of Cough Up
Cough up synonyms and antonyms →Cough Up in a Sentence
He was coughing up blood.
He was coughing up a lung.
Do you think he'll be able to cough up the three grand by Tuesday?
That team had the game won, but they coughed it up in the end.
Word Forms & Grammar
cough up (third-person singular simple present coughs up, present participle coughing up, simple past and past participle coughed up)
Origin of Cough Up
Origin 1: From Middle English coughen up, equivalent to cough + up. Sense 2.1 was perhaps influenced by coffers of money.
Origin 2: (to lose by one's own mistakes): Compare typologically Russian проду́ть (prodútʹ), профу́кать (profúkatʹ).
Common Questions About Cough Up
What part of speech is cough up?
Cough up is a verb.
What is another word for cough up?
You can replace cough up with words such as fork out, fork over and shell out. See the full list of cough up synonyms and antonyms.
What is the past tense of cough up?
The past tense of cough up is coughed up. The present participle is coughing up.