retch

Plural: retches

Noun

an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting
An unsuccessful effort to vomit.

Verb

Verb Forms: retched, retching, retches

To make an effort to vomit; to gag or heave.
eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth
make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; strain to vomit
To make or experience an unsuccessful effort to vomit; to strain or spasm, as if to vomit; to gag or nearly vomit.
To vomit; to make or experience a successful effort to vomit.
To reck.
Alternative form of reach.

Examples

The thought of drawing another blank tile made him almost RETCH with frustration.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English *recchen, *rechen (attested 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”). Cognate with Icelandic hrækja (“to hawk, spit”), Limburgish räöke (“to induce vomiting”), Bavarian reckn (“to retch, gag”) and German recken (“to retch, gag”). Also related with German Rachen (“throat”).

Synonyms

barf, be sick, cast, cat, chuck, disgorge, gag, heave, honk, puke, purge, regorge, regurgitate, sick, spew, spue, throw up, upchuck, vomit, vomit up

Antonyms

keep down

Scrabble Score: 10

retch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
retch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
retch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

retch: valid Words With Friends Word