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View synonyms for wince

wince

1

[ wins ]

verb (used without object)

, winced, winc·ing.
  1. to draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow; start; flinch.

    Synonyms: quail, blench



noun

  1. a wincing or shrinking movement; a slight start.

wince

2

[ wins ]

wince

1

/ wɪns /

noun

  1. a roller for transferring pieces of cloth between dyeing vats
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


wince

2

/ wɪns /

verb

  1. intr to start slightly, as with sudden pain; flinch
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of wincing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈwincer, noun
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Other Words From

  • winc·er noun
  • winc·ing·ly adverb
  • winc·ing·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wince1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English winsen, variant of winchen, wenchen “to kick,” from unrecorded Anglo-French wenc(h)ier, Old French guenc(h)ier, from Germanic; wench, winch 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wince1

C17: variant of winch

Origin of wince2

C18 (earlier (C13) meaning: to kick): via Old French wencier, guenchir to avoid, from Germanic; compare Old Saxon wenkian, Old High German wenken
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Synonym Study

Wince, recoil, shrink, quail all mean to draw back from what is dangerous, fearsome, difficult, threatening, or unpleasant. Wince suggests an involuntary contraction of the facial features triggered by pain, embarrassment, or a sense of revulsion: to wince as a needle pierces the skin; to wince at coarse language. Recoil denotes a physical movement away from something disgusting or shocking or a similar psychological shutting out or avoidance: to recoil from contact with a slimy surface; to recoil at the squalor and misery of the slum. Shrink may imply a fastidious or scrupulous avoidance of the distasteful or it may suggest cowardly withdrawal from what is feared: to shrink from confessing a crime; to shrink from going into battle. Quail suggests a loss of heart or courage in the face of danger or difficulty; it sometimes suggests trembling or other manifestations of physical disturbance: to quail before an angry mob.
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Example Sentences

One assumes that a Dane reading that statement now would wince, just as any person in any country occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II would be embarrassed by evidence that fellow citizens acted so sycophantically towards an oppressive and lawless occupier.

From Salon

But what makes me wince is the long payoff periods — 35 years at $500 million annually for Proposition 2 and 40 years at $400 million annually for Proposition 4.

I would wince when sometimes he would show impatience and irritation towards his staff.

From BBC

What was in the footage that made them wince?

Then she’ll ask how much it costs as I wince in pain thinking about my bank account.

From Salon

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win by a nosewinced