retch

verb

ˈrech How to pronounce retch (audio)
especially British
ˈrēch How to pronounce retch (audio)
retched; retching; retches

intransitive verb

: to make an effort to vomit
also : vomit
retch noun

Examples of retch in a Sentence

the smell of rotten cabbage makes me retch
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At dinner this week sans Tamra, the housewives start dinner at the restaurant oyster bar, where Gina starts to gag and retch after eating – does the terror of the sea also work with seafood? Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025 The patient is actually a training dummy that instructors can manipulate into yelling, moaning, retching, suffering blood pressure spikes, heart attacks and other medical emergencies. Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 Hunched and retching over her slain father is Electridad (Melissa Lozada), writhing at onlookers and passersby. Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025 And Kevin, curious, went for it right away—only to instantly pull a disgusted face, shake his head back and forth, and begin retching, as the woman behind the camera burst out laughing. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025 The rare condition is called Boerhaave syndrome, defined as a life-threatening, spontaneous rupture of the esophagus typically caused by severe vomiting or retching. ArsTechnica, 27 June 2025 By giving each sister the opportunity to retch up years of resentments and jealousies and take up the frame while doing it, Sirens emphasizes how definitive their baggage is, and how festering their wounds, beneath those conventionally beautiful faces. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 May 2025 The footage shows officers laughing and smiling once Smallwood starts retching, then throws up, the lawsuit notes. Julia Marnin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2025 The beat retched like Tin Man choking on his own silvery puke while Fraxiom called out NYU kids and threatened to pee on Zedd. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2025

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of retch was in 1538

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Retch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retch. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

retch

verb
ˈrech How to pronounce retch (audio)
British
rēch How to pronounce retch (audio)
1
2
: to try to vomit

Medical Definition

retch

intransitive verb
ˈrech, especially British ˈrēch
: to make an effort to vomit
retch noun

More from Merriam-Webster on retch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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