retch
verb
ˈrech 
especially British
ˈrēch retched; retching; retches
transitive verb
: vomit sense 1
intransitive verb
: to make an effort to vomit
also : vomit
retch noun
Synonyms
- barf
- gag
- heave
- hurl
- puke
- spew
- spit up
- throw up
- upchuck
- vomit
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the smell of rotten cabbage makes me retch
Recent Examples on the Web The silverback smelled the smoke from our fire and began roaring and retching to intimidate us. 
Jerome Lewis, Scientific American, 26 Apr. 2020 There was one who’d set fire to her own locker, another who quietly cut her arms and legs, another who regularly ran herself to exhaustion around the track and then made retching sounds in the bathroom. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2019 On a stretcher outside his office, a skeletally thin old man retched loudly; the man’s daughter tried to push more fluids into him. Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic, 17 June 2019 When Boca pulled into the Monumental Stadium, River’s home, the players were still coughing and retching on their way to the locker room. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2018 Within a minute, the man retched and twisted in his bed. Aubrey Whelan, Philly.com, 5 July 2018 Pumphrey visited teammate Darren Sproles in San Diego for cross-fit-style training sessions that left Pumphrey retching into garbage cans. Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, 23 May 2018 Back in October 2016, one man actually burned a hole in his esophagus after consuming (and subsequently retching) ghost peppers during an eating contest. Anthea Levi, Health.com, 6 Feb. 2018 Ramirez said, nearly retching at the memory of the finding. Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Feb. 2018 See More
Jerome Lewis, Scientific American, 26 Apr. 2020 There was one who’d set fire to her own locker, another who quietly cut her arms and legs, another who regularly ran herself to exhaustion around the track and then made retching sounds in the bathroom. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2019 On a stretcher outside his office, a skeletally thin old man retched loudly; the man’s daughter tried to push more fluids into him. Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic, 17 June 2019 When Boca pulled into the Monumental Stadium, River’s home, the players were still coughing and retching on their way to the locker room. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2018 Within a minute, the man retched and twisted in his bed. Aubrey Whelan, Philly.com, 5 July 2018 Pumphrey visited teammate Darren Sproles in San Diego for cross-fit-style training sessions that left Pumphrey retching into garbage cans. Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, 23 May 2018 Back in October 2016, one man actually burned a hole in his esophagus after consuming (and subsequently retching) ghost peppers during an eating contest. Anthea Levi, Health.com, 6 Feb. 2018 Ramirez said, nearly retching at the memory of the finding. Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Feb. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English *rechen to spit, retch, from Old English hrǣcan to spit, hawk; akin to Old Norse hrækja to spit
First Known Use
1538, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Kids Definition
retch
verb
ˈrech
retched; retching
: to vomit or try to vomit
Medical Definition
retch
intransitive verb
ˈrech, especially British ˈrēch
: to make an effort to vomit
transitive verb
: vomit
retch
verb
as in to vomit
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth the smell of rotten cabbage makes me retch Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- vomit
- puke
- hurl
- barf
- gag
- upchuck
- heave
- throw up
- spew
- eject
- spit up
- regurgitate
- disgorge
- nauseate
- toss one's cookies
- lose one's lunch
- expel
