dry heave

or dry-heave

[ drahy heev ]

verb (used without object)

1. to make an involuntary effort to vomit, but without bringing anything up; retch:

   I dry heave every time I think back to that awful incident.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dry heave¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The water monster began to dry heave.

From Literature

But the delicacy of Toossi’s development handily makes up for both problems, especially the hysteria of lifeboat melodrama; in a recent interview in The New York Times, she told my colleague Alexis Soloski that “writing a trauma play makes me want to dry heave.”

From New York Times

But writing a trauma play makes me want to dry heave.

From New York Times

“Conventions were a center of my life for a while, and now the idea of being in a vendor hall with that many people makes me want to dry heave,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

“Seinfeld” cast members Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander were among several who noticed similarities between the president’s convulsive movements and Elaine’s infamous party dance, which Alexander’s George described on the show as a “full-body dry heave set to music.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eject
• gag
• heave
• regurgitate