MEANING
To make the involuntary abdominal efforts associated with vomiting, sometimes without expelling anything.
Use it for
A body recoiling from contamination; stomach distress; nausea interrupting speechShow the muscular interruption rather than simply stating disgust.
Words that belong together
- retch violently
- retch without vomiting
- dry retching
On the page
She retched when the sample bag opened.
He retched twice without bringing anything up.
The boy tried to answer, but began retching over the basin.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- retch / retches
- Past tense
- retched
- Past participle
- retched
- Present participle
- retching
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- retch / retches
- Present continuous
- am/is/are retching
- Present perfect
- have/has retched
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been retching
- Past
- retched
- Past continuous
- was/were retching
- Past perfect
- had retched
- Past perfect continuous
- had been retching
- Future
- will retch / retches
- Future continuous
- will be retching
- Future perfect
- will have retched
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been retching
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Retching can be dry; distinguish it from actually vomiting. It can follow illness or disgust but does not itself identify the cause. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: retch, retches, retched, retched, retching.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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