verb
retch
Retch (verb) means to make the movements and sounds of being sick without actually bringing anything up.
verb
1
To make the movements and sounds of being sick without actually bringing anything up.
2
To be sick, bringing up the contents of your stomach.
"Retching the contents from his lungs. The uncomfortable warble of voices called for help, greeting him at the floor. He was laid on a gurney, the slimy contents wiped from his face. The sting of needles inserted in his arms."
— Tony Bertauski, Maze: The Essence of Sunny Grimm (2020)
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Etymology
It comes from Middle English *recchen, *rechen (found in arechen), hræcen (“to cough up”), from Old English hrǣċan (“to clear the throat, hawk, spit”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrākijan, from Proto-Germanic *hrēkijaną (“to clear one's throat”), from Proto-Indo-European *kreg- (“to caw, crow”). It is cognate with Icelandic hrækja (“to hawk, spit”), Limburgish räöke (“to induce vomiting”), Bavarian reckn (“to retch, gag”) and German recken (“to retch, gag”), and is also related to German Rachen (“throat”).
Related words
Rhymes for retch
See all rhymes for retch →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of retch?
"retch" (verb) means to make the movements and sounds of being sick without actually bringing anything up.
What is another word for retch?
Other words for "retch" include purge, disgorge, barf, puke, regorge, gag.
What are the different meanings of retch?
"retch" has 2 main meanings: 1. To make the movements and sounds of being sick without actually bringing anything up; 2. To be sick, bringing up the contents of your stomach.
