Meanings
ralph1
present singular third person ralphs · participle present ralphing · participle past ralphed · past ralphed · alternative rauf · alternative rolf
- slangTo vomit.
ralph2
Ralph3
alternative surname Rawle
- A male given name from the Germanic languages.
There were none fine but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory: / The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly
c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]1 more example
Regarding the correct pronunciation, especially of the name Ralph: according to a friend at the BBC, the possibilities of this name - either aristocratic 'Rafe' or vulgar, almost Australasian 'Ralff' - lie in its potential for wilful mispronunciation against type. I saw him cast confusion into an over-confident studio guest by introducing him as 'Sir Rafe Halpern'. This was nothing to the consternation, almost disintegration of the personality, of the artistic, aloof actor brought on as 'Rolf Fiennes' ('Fiennes', naturally, pronounced superbly).
1998 The Spectator, 7 March 1998, page 55 ("Dear Mary...") - A surname originating as a patronymic.
- slangFictional person used in references to vomiting.
He's outside calling Ralph [i.e. vomiting].
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
ralph · verb
US 1960s, of uncertain origin, apparently derived from a use of the male name Ralph, but perhaps imitative.
Full word history & related roots →Ralph · proper noun
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂er-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂reh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*Hreh₁dʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*rēdaz
- Proto-Indo-European*wl̥kʷós?
- Proto-Indo-European*wĺ̥kʷos
- Proto-Germanic*wulfaz
- Proto-Germanic*Rēdawulfaz
- Proto-West Germanic*Rādawulf
- Old EnglishRǣdwulf
- Middle EnglishRadulf
- EnglishRalph
From Middle English Radulf, from Old English Rǣdwulf (also as Raulf), from Proto-West Germanic *Rādawulf, from Proto-Germanic *Rēdawulfaz. Reinforced by similar forms brought to England, e.g. Old Norse Ráðúlfr, then in the Norman form Old French Radulf, Radulph. For the sense relating to vomiting, see ralph.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رَالْف
- رَالْف (rālf)male given name
Bengali র্যালফ
- র্যালফ (royaloph)male given name
Bulgarian Ралф
- Ралф (Ralf)male given name
Catalan Raül
- Raülmale given name
Chinese Mandarin 拉爾夫 /拉尔夫
- 拉爾夫 /拉尔夫 (Lā'ěrfū)male given name
Danish Ralf
- Ralfmale given name
Esperanto Rolfo
- Rolfomale given name
Estonian Raul
- Raulmale given name
Finnish Rauli
- Raulimale given name
French Raoul
- Raoulmale given name
German Ralf
- Ralfmale given name
Greek Ραλφ
- Ραλφ (Ralf)male given name
Hebrew רָאלְף
- רָאלְף (ralf)male given name
Italian Raul
- Raulmale given name
Japanese ラルフ
- ラルフ (rarufu)male given name
Korean 랄프
- 랄프 (ralpeu)male given name
Latvian Ralfs
- Ralfsmale given name
Lithuanian Ralfas
- Ralfasmale given name
Persian رالف
- رالف (râlf)male given name
Polish Ralf
- Ralfmale given name
Portuguese Raul
- Raulmale given name
Russian Ральф
- Ральф (Ralʹf)male given name
Spanish Raúl
- Raúlmale given name
Swedish Ralf, Rolf
- Ralfmale given name
- Rolfmale given name
Thai ราล์ฟ
- ราล์ฟ (râaf)male given name
Ukrainian Ральф
- Ральф (Ralʹf)male given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ralph
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
ralph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ralph
“ralph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ralph. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ralph,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ralph.
Source: ralph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.