retch
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
(intr) to undergo an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting; heave
-
to vomit
noun
Etymology
Origin of retch
1540–50; variant of reach, Old English hrǣc an to clear the throat (not recorded in ME), derivative of hrāca a clearing of the throat; compare Old Norse hrǣkja to hawk, spit
Explanation
To retch is to gag, or nearly vomit. The smell of a passing garbage truck on a hot summer day might make you retch. Sometimes, retch is used to literally mean "throw up," but it usually means to come very close to throwing up without actually vomiting. You might retch because you're sick, or when you have to eat something you hate, like overcooked cauliflower. Retch is also a noun: "When I heard the retch from the bathroom, I knew he'd caught that stomach bug." Originally, to retch meant "to clear the throat."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The glance Retch gave Mercedes had no love in it.
From Sinister Paradise by Williams, Robert Moore
Retch did not waste a second glance on him.
From Sinister Paradise by Williams, Robert Moore
"Find Retch," Parker whispered over and over again.
From Sinister Paradise by Williams, Robert Moore
What difference did it make what Retch was, or the nature of his business here?
From Sinister Paradise by Williams, Robert Moore
Face to face, and knee to knee, sick, Retch and heave and strain, Think of a whole hundred sea-sick All along the train!
From Punch, or The London Charivari, Vol. 62, January 20, 1872 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
