retch
Americanverb (used without object)
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retches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retched,
past participle, past
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retching
present participle
verb (used with object)
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retches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retched,
past participle, past
-
retching
present participle
noun
verb
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(intr) to undergo an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting; heave
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to vomit
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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retchsimple
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retchessimple
-
have retchedperfect
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has retchedperfect
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am retchingprogressive
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are retchingprogressive
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is retchingprogressive
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have been retchingperfect progressive
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has been retchingperfect progressive
Past
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retchedsimple
-
had retchedperfect
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was retchingprogressive
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were retchingprogressive
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had been retchingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
The heat lingered around 100 degrees, and while Young danced and sang, she began to visibly gag and retch before running off the stage and asking for a bucket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
His mum Dawn Kafi, from Liverpool, said food made him retch and gag.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2022
But they’re also 4-3 against the three worst teams in the Eastern Conference, and if you didn’t retch a little during that double-digit loss in Atlanta, your stomach is stronger than mine.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 18, 2018
For about 40 of those years, the sight of that bust has made Willie Mahone, a local lawyer, want to retch.
From New York Times ● Sep. 4, 2016
Her empty belly roiled and she thought she might retch.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Diana’s wardrobe becomes a gorgeous prison, from the string of pearls that repeatedly tightens around her neck to the stunning Chanel gown she wears as she retches into a toilet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
With a flourish, almost with dedication, with loud retches.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 7, 2019
Dumbfounded, she stalks away and retches in a trash bin.
From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2014
When Tenorman learns of his error, he retches and begins to sob.
From Newsweek ● Feb. 19, 2013
Castor and Pollux grab towels, aprons to stuff in the cracks as Gale retches into a bright yellow sink.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
McDonald spoke of the usual chicken and spaghetti at that hour, and no one retched, at least not audibly.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 25, 2021
An older woman retched into a plastic bag.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 18, 2021
He gulped, gagged and retched as the rest of the group sat handcuffed beside a Border Patrol truck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2021
When I hoisted myself into the driver’s seat, I practically retched.
From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2020
I twisted my head to the side and retched up water.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
The smell was so overwhelming that workers started retching.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
When she wasn’t retching, she lay her head in her boyfriend’s lap.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2024
Instead she found two of her co-workers vomiting, with one retching into her bowl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2023
She said: "My fear has always been going into his bedroom in the morning and you know it's been fatal, because that's how bad the cough and the retching has been."
From BBC ● May 22, 2023
Loo only pointed at the inkfish, stuck out his tongue, and made a retching sound.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
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.
