verb
gag
To retch involuntarily as if about to vomit.
The sour smell makes me gag as I open the refrigerator.
Etymology
An expressive throat-action word. Retching and obstructing speech share this immediate family; the joke sense has a less certain history.
More examples
- She gags whenever she tries to swallow a large pill.
- I gagged when the toothbrush touched the back of my tongue.
- He managed to taste the bitter medicine without gagging.
Forms
gag · gags · gagged · gagging