diff --git a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/package.json b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/package.json
index 36c716d7c473..6eb3b5127115 100644
--- a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/package.json
@@ -10,5 +10,8 @@
   "main": "build/index.js",
   "scripts": {
     "test": "../../packages/jest-cli/bin/jest.js"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "chalk": "^1.1.3"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/__tests__/index-test.js b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/__tests__/index-test.js
index 6e76b0fe2b3e..f7610ed238bb 100644
--- a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/__tests__/index-test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/__tests__/index-test.js
@@ -53,4 +53,6 @@ describe('.getType()', () => {
   test('function', () => expect(getType(() => {})).toBe('function'));
   test('boolean', () => expect(getType(true)).toBe('boolean'));
   test('symbol', () => expect(getType(Symbol.for('a'))).toBe('symbol'));
+  test('regexp', () => expect(getType(/abc/)).toBe('regexp'));
+
 });
diff --git a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/index.js b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/index.js
index eda4028e83a1..16058849602c 100644
--- a/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/jest-matcher-utils/src/index.js
@@ -10,7 +10,19 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-import type {ValueType} from 'types/Values';
+export type ValueType =
+  | 'array'
+  | 'boolean'
+  | 'function'
+  | 'null'
+  | 'number'
+  | 'object'
+  | 'regexp'
+  | 'string'
+  | 'symbol'
+  | 'undefined';
+
+const chalk = require('chalk');
 
 // get the type of a value with handling the edge cases like `typeof []`
 // and `typeof null`
@@ -30,6 +42,9 @@ const getType = (value: any): ValueType => {
   } else if (typeof value === 'string') {
     return 'string';
   } else if (typeof value === 'object') {
+    if (value.constructor === RegExp) {
+      return 'regexp';
+    }
     return 'object';
   // $FlowFixMe https://github.com/facebook/flow/issues/1015
   } else if (typeof value === 'symbol') {
@@ -75,6 +90,9 @@ const stringify = (obj: any): string => {
   });
 };
 
+// highlight an object
+const h = (obj: any) => chalk.cyan.bold(stringify(obj));
+
 const ensureNoExpected = (expected: any, matcherName: string) => {
   matcherName || (matcherName = 'This');
   if (typeof expected !== 'undefined') {
@@ -108,10 +126,11 @@ const ensureNumbers = (actual: any, expected: any, matcherName: string) => {
 };
 
 module.exports = {
-  getType,
-  stringify,
-  ensureNoExpected,
   ensureActualIsNumber,
   ensureExpectedIsNumber,
+  ensureNoExpected,
   ensureNumbers,
+  getType,
+  h,
+  stringify,
 };
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/toThrowMatchers-test.js.snap b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/toThrowMatchers-test.js.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c9e0558d1c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/toThrowMatchers-test.js.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+exports[`.toThrowError() error class did not throw at all 1`] = `"Expected the function to throw an error of \"Err\" type, but it didn\'t."`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() error class threw, but class did not match 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to throw an error of \"Err2\" type, but it didn\'t.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Err\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() error class threw, but should not have 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to not throw an error of \"Err\" type, but it did.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Err\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() regexp did not throw at all 1`] = `"Expected the function to throw an error matching \"/apple/\", but it didn\'t."`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() regexp threw, but message did not match 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to throw an error matching \"/banana/\", but it didn\'t.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Error\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() regexp threw, but should not have 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to not throw an error matching \"/apple/\", but it did.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Error\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() strings did not throw at all 1`] = `"Expected the function to throw an error matching \"apple\", but it didn\'t."`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() strings threw, but message did not match 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to throw an error matching \"banana\", but it didn\'t.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Error\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
+
+exports[`.toThrowError() strings threw, but should not have 1`] = `
+"Expected the function to not throw an error matching \"apple\", but it did.
+Actual error:
+  type: \"Error\"
+  message: \"apple\""
+`;
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spy-matchers-test.js b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spyMatchers-test.js
similarity index 97%
rename from packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spy-matchers-test.js
rename to packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spyMatchers-test.js
index edc99c027b11..867e7a090aaf 100644
--- a/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spy-matchers-test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/spyMatchers-test.js
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ describe('.toHaveBeenCalledTimes()', () => {
   it('accept only numbers', () => {
     const foo = jasmine.createSpy('foo');
     foo();
-
-    expect(() => jestExpect(foo).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
-      .not.toThrowError();
+    jestExpect(foo).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 
     [{}, [], true, 'a', new Map(), () => {}].forEach(value => {
       expect(() => jestExpect(foo).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(value))
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers-test.js b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4897a447ab16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/jest-matchers/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-present, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *
+ * @emails oncall+jsinfra
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+describe('.toThrowError()', () => {
+  describe('strings', () => {
+    it('passes', () => {
+      expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).toThrowError('apple');
+      expect(() => { throw new Error('banana'); }).not.toThrowError('apple');
+      expect(() => {}).not.toThrowError('apple');
+    });
+
+    test('did not throw at all', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => {}).toThrowError('apple');
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but message did not match', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).toThrowError('banana');
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but should not have', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).not.toThrowError('apple');
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('regexp', () => {
+    it('passes', () => {
+      expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).toThrowError(/apple/);
+      expect(() => { throw new Error('banana'); }).not.toThrowError(/apple/);
+      expect(() => {}).not.toThrowError(/apple/);
+    });
+
+    test('did not throw at all', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => {}).toThrowError(/apple/);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but message did not match', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).toThrowError(/banana/);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot()
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but should not have', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Error('apple'); }).not.toThrowError(/apple/);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('error class', () => {
+    class Err extends Error {}
+    class Err2 extends Error {}
+
+    it('passes', () => {
+      expect(() => { throw new Err(); }).toThrowError(Err);
+      expect(() => { throw new Err(); }).toThrowError(Error);
+      expect(() => { throw new Err(); }).not.toThrowError(Err2);
+      expect(() => {}).not.toThrowError(Err);
+    });
+
+    test('did not throw at all', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => {}).toThrowError(Err);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but class did not match', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Err('apple'); }).toThrowError(Err2);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    test('threw, but should not have', () => {
+      let error;
+      try {
+        expect(() => { throw new Err('apple'); }).not.toThrowError(Err);
+      } catch (e) {
+        error = e;
+      }
+
+      expect(error).toBeDefined();
+      expect(error.message).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/index.js b/packages/jest-matchers/src/index.js
index 3ef9280eae62..975281a324d8 100644
--- a/packages/jest-matchers/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/jest-matchers/src/index.js
@@ -20,9 +20,15 @@ import type {
 } from './types';
 
 const matchers = require('./matchers');
-const spyMatchers = require('./spy-matchers');
+const spyMatchers = require('./spyMatchers');
+const toThrowMatchers = require('./toThrowMatchers');
+
+const {stringify} = require('jest-matcher-utils');
+
 const GLOBAL_MATCHERS_OBJECT_SYMBOL = Symbol.for('$$jest-matchers-object');
 
+class JestAssertionError extends Error {}
+
 if (!global[GLOBAL_MATCHERS_OBJECT_SYMBOL]) {
   Object.defineProperty(
     global,
@@ -57,6 +63,8 @@ const makeThrowingMatcher = (
       {args: arguments},
     );
 
+    _validateResult(result);
+
     if ((result.pass && isNot) || (!result.pass && !isNot)) { // XOR
       let message = result.message;
 
@@ -66,7 +74,7 @@ const makeThrowingMatcher = (
         message = message();
       }
 
-      const error = new Error(message);
+      const error = new JestAssertionError(message);
       // Remove this function from the stack trace frame.
       Error.captureStackTrace(error, throwingMatcher);
       throw error;
@@ -78,9 +86,29 @@ const addMatchers = (matchersObj: MatchersObject): void => {
   Object.assign(global[GLOBAL_MATCHERS_OBJECT_SYMBOL], matchersObj);
 };
 
+const _validateResult = result => {
+  if (
+    typeof result !== 'object' ||
+    typeof result.pass !== 'boolean' ||
+    !(
+      typeof result.message === 'string' ||
+      typeof result.message === 'function'
+    )
+  ) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Unexpected return from a matcher function.\n' +
+      'Matcher functions should ' +
+      'return an object in the following format:\n' +
+      '  {message: string | function, pass: boolean}\n' +
+      `'${stringify(result)}' was returned`,
+    );
+  }
+};
+
 // add default jest matchers
 addMatchers(matchers);
 addMatchers(spyMatchers);
+addMatchers(toThrowMatchers);
 
 module.exports = {
   addMatchers,
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/spy-matchers.js b/packages/jest-matchers/src/spyMatchers.js
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/jest-matchers/src/spy-matchers.js
rename to packages/jest-matchers/src/spyMatchers.js
diff --git a/packages/jest-matchers/src/toThrowMatchers.js b/packages/jest-matchers/src/toThrowMatchers.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..96386a91e746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/jest-matchers/src/toThrowMatchers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *
+ * @flow
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+import type {MatchersObject} from './types';
+
+const {h, getType} = require('jest-matcher-utils');
+
+const matchers: MatchersObject = {
+  toThrowError(actual: Function, expected: string | Error | RegExp) {
+    let error;
+
+    try {
+      actual();
+    } catch (e) {
+      error = e;
+    }
+
+    if (typeof expected === 'string') {
+      return toThrowMatchingStringOrRegexp(error, expected);
+    } else if (typeof expected === 'function') {
+      return toThrowMatchingError(error, expected);
+    } else if (expected instanceof RegExp) {
+      return toThrowMatchingStringOrRegexp(error, expected);
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Unexpected argument passed. Expected to get ' +
+        `"string", "Error type" or "regexp". Got: ${h(getType(expected))} ` +
+        `'${h(expected)}'`,
+      );
+    }
+  },
+};
+
+const toThrowMatchingStringOrRegexp = (
+  error,
+  strOrRegExp: string | RegExp,
+) => {
+  const pass = !!(error && error.message.match(strOrRegExp));
+  let message = pass
+    ? 'Expected the function to not throw an error matching ' +
+     `${h(strOrRegExp)}, but it did.`
+    : 'Expected the function to throw an error matching ' +
+      `${h(strOrRegExp)}, but it didn't.`;
+
+  if (error) {
+    message += _printThrownError(error);
+  }
+
+  return {pass, message};
+};
+
+const toThrowMatchingError = (error, ErrorClass) => {
+  const pass = !!(error && error instanceof ErrorClass);
+  let message = pass
+    ? `Expected the function to not throw an error of ${h(ErrorClass.name)} ` +
+      'type, but it did.'
+    : `Expected the function to throw an error of ${h(ErrorClass.name)} ` +
+      `type, but it didn't.`;
+
+  if (error) {
+    message += _printThrownError(error);
+  }
+
+  return {pass, message};
+};
+
+const _printThrownError = error => {
+  return '\n' +
+    'Actual error:\n' +
+    `  type: ${h(error.constructor.name)}\n` +
+    `  message: ${h(error.message)}`;
+};
+
+module.exports = matchers;
diff --git a/types/Values.js b/types/Values.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 73984447f67e..000000000000
--- a/types/Values.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (c) 2014-present, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved.
- *
- * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
- * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
- * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
- *
- * @flow
- */
-'use strict';
-
-// Types of javascript values returned by `jest-matcher-utils$getType()`
-export type ValueType =
-  | 'array'
-  | 'boolean'
-  | 'function'
-  | 'null'
-  | 'number'
-  | 'object'
-  | 'string'
-  | 'symbol'
-  | 'undefined';