dry heaves

[ drahy heevz ]

plural noun

1. Often the dry heaves. a condition in which one feels the need to vomit and repeatedly attempts to do so, but without bringing anything up: Compare heave ( def 18 ).

   He was nauseous before breakfast, had a round of dry heaves, and decided not to eat till he felt better.

   I get the dry heaves when I smell buttered popcorn.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dry heaves¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

There was that time at Bay Hill in 2003 when Woods had food poisoning, had the dry heaves throughout the final round and won by 11 shots.

From Seattle Times

“Thank you, Nathan, for everything you have done for me,” said Pond through raspy coughs and body-shaking dry heaves.

From Literature

The vertigo, which she described as “horrendous,” was accompanied by dry heaves and an inability to focus her eyes.

From Washington Post

“Another bout of dry heaves racked my body as I lay on the cold cement floor of the jail cell,” he wrote.

From New York Times

Albertina Bonetti, 77, from Trescore Balneario, near Bergamo, developed nausea and fever on March 7, followed by dry heaves and diarrhea.

From New York Times