嘔吐（おうと、outo）
- vomiting

The Japanese word 嘔吐, read as おうと, means "vomiting" or "to vomit." It refers to the involuntary expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth. This is a physiological process, often a symptom of illness or other bodily disturbances. It can also be a verb, indicating the act of vomiting.

⚫︎彼は朝から何度も嘔吐した。 Translation: He vomited several times since this morning. ⚫︎嘔吐の原因を調べる必要があります。 Translation: We need to investigate the cause of the vomiting. ⚫︎船酔いで嘔吐してしまいました。 Translation: I vomited because of seasickness.

This word is used in medical contexts, when describing someone's physical condition, or when talking about instances of throwing up. It's suitable for formal and informal situations. You can use it to report someone vomiting, describe the act of vomiting, or talk about the condition of being sick and vomiting. The context usually determines the necessity of using the word.

嘔吐 is typically written in kanji as 嘔吐, but can also be written in hiragana as おうと. There are no other ways to write this word. The okurigana is fixed, there is no variation.

⚫︎ 吐く (はく) - "to vomit," this is a verb, and a more casual way to say "to vomit." ⚫︎ 戻す (もどす) - "to throw up," similar to 吐く in meaning, but sometimes implies a return of the contents to the body. ⚫︎ ゲロを吐く - colloquial term, a slightly rude expression.

There aren't direct antonyms for the act of vomiting in the same way. However, you could consider words related to the opposite state, such as: ⚫︎ 食欲 (しょくよく) - appetite ⚫︎ 消化 (しょうか) - digestion ⚫︎ 健康 (けんこう) - health

熱が出て、食事もできず、一日中嘔吐していました。 ・Translation: I had a fever, couldn't eat, and was vomiting all day. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a situation where the person is suffering from a fever and the symptom of vomiting, indicating they are unwell.

妊娠初期はつわりで嘔吐が酷かった。 ・Translation: In early pregnancy, the morning sickness was severe and I had a lot of vomiting. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the person was going through morning sickness, a common symptom during the early stages of pregnancy, leading to a lot of vomiting.

The kanji 嘔 means "to vomit," and 吐 also means "to spit out" or "to vomit." Combined, 嘔吐 directly reflects the meaning of the act of vomiting, which combines the movement of the stomach or throat, and the action of throwing up. The word's etymology is straightforward, reflecting the physical act it describes.