Pronunciation: /rɛtʃ/

Definitions of retch

noun a strong involuntary effort to vomit

Example Sentences

A1 I felt a retch in my stomach after eating that spoiled food.

A2 The smell of the garbage made her retch uncontrollably.

B1 He tried to hold back the retch as he cleaned up the vomit on the floor.

B2 The sight of the gruesome scene caused a retch to rise in her throat.

C1 The retch of disgust was evident on her face as she listened to the gruesome details.

C2 Despite her best efforts, she couldn't suppress the retch that rose in her throat at the sight of the decaying body.

verb to make an effort to vomit; to vomit

Example Sentences

A1 I retch when I smell something bad.

A2 She retched after eating the spoiled food.

B1 The strong odor made him retch uncontrollably.

B2 The sight of the gruesome scene caused her to retch violently.

C1 He tried to suppress the urge to retch as he cleaned up the mess.

C2 The graphic description of the surgery made some audience members retch in disgust.

Examples of retch in a Sentence

formal The patient began to retch after ingesting the medication.

informal I always retch when I smell that particular food.

slang I retch every time I see that guy, he's so annoying.

figurative The thought of going back to that job makes me retch.

Grammatical Forms of retch

past tense

retched

plural

retches

comparative

more retch

superlative

most retch

present tense

retch

future tense

will retch

perfect tense

have retched

continuous tense

is retching

singular

retch

positive degree

retch

infinitive

to retch

gerund

retching

participle

retching

Origin and Evolution of retch

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'retch' originated from Middle English 'rechen' which comes from Old English 'hrǣcan' meaning to clear the throat or spit.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'retch' has evolved to specifically refer to the act of vomiting or dry heaving, rather than just clearing the throat or spitting.