What does retch mean?
Retch means to make the strained, gurgling sound and effort that commonly accompanies nausea and vomiting. The word is especially used when someone is about to vomit or has expelled the contents of the stomach, and it can also serve as a more formal verb for vomiting itself. A person may retch because of illness, motion sickness, severe discomfort, or an empty stomach, and the expression 'dry retch' refers to this effort when nothing is brought up. In everyday speech, 'gag' is often more familiar, but retch conveys the distinctive physical sound and effort more vividly. The word is useful in medical, descriptive, and literary writing because it identifies both the sensation of nausea and the forceful bodily reaction that follows.
To make a strained, choking sound as if about to vomit; to vomit.
"The smell made him retch violently."
Often used with 'dry' to describe the effort or sound of vomiting without expelling anything.
A strained, choking sound made by someone who is about to vomit or has just vomited.
"A loud retch came from the next room."
The noun is less common than the verb and is chiefly used in descriptive or literary contexts.
Retching is the body's dramatic warning sign that something has seriously disagreed with you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retch come from?
The word is formed in imitation of the strained sound made during vomiting or gagging. Its development reflects the tendency in English to create expressive words by reproducing bodily and vocal sounds directly.
How retch is actually used
Retching is somewhat more formal than the everyday verbs 'gag' and 'vomit', though it is widely understood. It commonly describes the physical sound or effort that precedes vomiting and may occur without vomiting actually taking place.
Easily confused with retch
Retching is the action of making a strained sound associated with nausea or vomiting, whereas retching can also refer more broadly to the vomiting itself.