Retch-Wretch | Commonly Confused Words
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Retch vs. Wretch

Retch

/retʃ/
To make the sound and motion of vomiting or to gag without necessarily expelling anything.

Examples:

The smell made him retch violently.I start to retch at the thought of eating that.She turned away, trying to suppress the retch.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Wretch

/retʃ/
A person who is very unhappy or in a very difficult situation.

Examples:

The poor wretch had lost everything in the fire.Even the villain was a wretch seeking redemption.Her heart went out to the lonely wretch on the street.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Wretch starts with a w, like woeful, which is how a wretch might feel or appear.
  • Retch starts with an r, like retching or retch-inducing, which relates to the action of gagging.
  • A wretch is typically a person, someone pitiful, while retch is an action your body performs when you're feeling queasy.
  • Wretch contains w, which can remind you of woe, adding to its meaning of being in misfortune or misery.
  • Retch, on the other hand, deals with the throat and gag reflex, so remember retch and throat both contain t.
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