Do you want to know how to tell your boss you threw up in an email?
Perhaps you’re worried about the phrase “I threw up” being too personal or unprofessional.
That’s okay! There are plenty of other phrases out there to explore.
This article will teach you how to say “throwing up” professionally to give you a better idea of what works.
Is It Professional to Say “I Threw Up”?
It is not professional to say “I threw up.”
It’s often an inappropriate way to say you’ve been sick or feel sick.
For the most part, especially at work, you can simply say “I’m sick” or “I’m ill.” You don’t often need to explain exactly what’s wrong with you when writing to your boss.
If your boss is a decent employer, they’ll be happy to let you go home or stay off work for simply being ill. You never have to divulge more information than you feel comfortable!
Pros
- It’s an honest way to show you don’t feel well.
- It leaves nothing up to the imagination.
Cons
- It’s inappropriate to use in most emails.
- It’s informal.
So, you might not want to say “I threw up” in a business email. But there are plenty of other alternatives out there. Now, its time to see what works better.
Keep reading to learn how to say you’ve been throwing up. We’ve gathered a great list of synonyms to help you explore some other options.
What to Say Instead of “I Threw Up”
- I experienced vomiting
- I’m feeling nauseous
- I had an episode of vomiting
- I have nausea
- I’ve been feeling sick
- I had a vomiting incident
- I had a bout of retching
- I’ve not been feeling my best
- I’m experiencing stomach distress
1. I Experienced Vomiting
Of course, it’s never nice to throw up. Whether you’re at work or at home, it’s good to say something like “I experienced vomiting” to clarify what’s wrong with you.
As always, you never need to directly explain why you’re sick at work. Simply saying you are ill should be enough.
However, if you do want to give more details, there’s nothing wrong with this phrase.
It’s humble and direct. This allows you to get to the point quickly without beating around the bush. So, as long as you’re not feeling well, this is a great phrase to include in an email.
You can also review the following sample email to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Ms. Potter,
I experienced vomiting earlier today, which is why I can’t come in today.
I hope you understand, and I’ll let you know as soon as I’m feeling better.
All the best,
Daniel Raider
2. I’m Feeling Nauseous
If you threw up at work, you might want to use something like “I’m feeling nauseous.”
This is a direct and honest way to explain that you’re not feeling well.
However, it also allows you to keep your dignity. After all, it doesn’t expressly let your boss know that you threw up at work.
Instead, it’s a respectful and formal phrase that shows you need time away from work.
So, if you throw up while doing your job, you might need to take some time off. This phrase will help your boss to understand you better and give you time to recover.
Feel free to review this sample email if you still need a bit of help:
Dear Ms. Planche,
I’m feeling nauseous, so I don’t think I can continue with my work day.
I’ll go home for the rest of the day and let you know how I’m feeling tomorrow.
Yours,
Georgia Keating
3. I Had an Episode of Vomiting
If you want to be abrupt and clear about your illness, use “I had an episode of vomiting.”
Sure, some people won’t want to hear this, but it gives you a valid excuse to take time off work.
Let’s say you started throwing up in the middle of the night. This would be an “episode of vomiting.”
So, you might have to wake up the next morning to let your boss know you’re not fit to work. There’s nothing wrong with including this phrase to be as honest as possible.
Try reviewing the following sample email if you still need to understand it:
Dear Miss Murphy,
I had an episode of vomiting last night, so I’m unable to attend work this morning.
Please let me know if there’s anything important I miss.
Best wishes,
Sam Kingston
4. I Have Nausea
Try using “I have nausea” to be a bit more subtle in saying you threw up.
This is an excellent replacement that simply shows you’re not feeling very well.
Of course, “nausea” is a blanket term that could refer to any number of illnesses. Therefore, you get to keep your dignity and be more private when using something like this.
It’s a polite way to tell your boss you’re vomiting without needing to tell your boss you’re actually vomiting.
Here’s a helpful sample email to give you a better idea of how it works:
Dear Ms. Sherrin,
I’m afraid I have nausea at the moment, that’s making it hard for me to operate.
I won’t be able to come to work for the rest of the week.
Yours,
Damian Greene
5. I’ve Been Feeling Sick
You can also say “I’ve been feeling sick” rather than “I threw up.”
It shows you how to say “throwing up” politely without expressly telling someone you’re vomiting or throwing up.
After all, “feeling sick” doesn’t necessarily mean you are being sick. It simply means you’re not fit enough to work, so you need to ask for some time off.
For the most part, this allows you to be honest yet private about what’s wrong with you. Your boss will still allow you to take time off if you use something like this when messaging them.
Also, you can check out this sample email to learn more:
Dear Miss Starch,
I’ve been feeling sick lately, so I’ve had to take myself home.
I realize I haven’t completed all my work, but it’s important that I recover.
Yours,
Sarah Catford
6. I Had a Vomiting Incident
You can also be more direct and honest with a phrase like “I had a vomiting incident.”
Sure, not everyone is going to want to hear this, but it’s sometimes necessary to mention it.
After all, it explains why you have to take time off work. This tends to work best if you have to go to the work bathroom to be sick while you are supposed to be getting on with your work.
It’s a formal and clear way to show your boss that you need to take some time off work. If they’re a reasonable person, they’ll understand.
Also, you can check out this sample email to learn more:
Dear Ms. Dickson,
I had a vomiting incident in the toilets earlier.
Therefore, I think it’s in everyone’s best interest if I go home to recover.
Yours,
Tommy Harding
7. I Had a Bout of Retching
You can also use “I had a bout of retching” if that works. It’s honest and clear, leaving nothing up to the imagination when letting your boss know you’ve thrown up.
Of course, “retching” isn’t the most common phrase to use here. But that could help to make your email stand out if you need your boss’s attention quickly.
It still keeps things formal, too. It’s always a better choice to use this over “I threw up.”
Also, you may want to review this email example to learn more:
Dear Miss Russell,
I had a bout of retching over the last few days, so it’s not likely that I’ll be at work tomorrow.
Let me know if there’s anything I can do at home.
Yours,
Carl Pilkington
8. I’ve Not Been Feeling My Best
To simplify things, why not stick with “I’ve not been feeling my best”?
This doesn’t specifically tell anyone you threw up. Instead, it shows that you’re unwell and would like to take some time away from work.
As always, you never need to clarify why you’re ill. Often, just saying you’re unwell is enough, and your boss will allow you to take time off.
So, if you’d like to be less direct and more subtle, try using a phrase like this.
If you still don’t get it, it might be worth reviewing this example:
Dear Ms. Mathis,
I’ve not been feeling my best, so I’ll have to take today off.
Please bear with me while I work on feeling better.
Yours,
Freddy Mecha
9. I’m Experiencing Stomach Distress
The last synonym we want to go through is “I’m experiencing stomach distress.”
Technically, this could go one of two ways. After all, the human body can experience stomach distress from the top or bottom end.
However, this ambiguity is what makes this synonym useful. It will ensure your boss won’t ask further questions because they won’t want to know the answer.
Therefore, this is a short and to the point choice that shows you need time off work.
You can review this example if you still don’t know how it works:
Dear Ms. Frock,
I’m experiencing stomach distress at the moment.
Therefore, I think it’s for the best if I take the rest of the day off.
Yours,
Paula Bean