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 ]

noun

1. winch ¹( def 4 ).

wince

¹

/ wɪns /

noun

1. a roller for transferring pieces of cloth between dyeing vats

wince

²

/ wɪns /

verb

1. intr to start slightly, as with sudden pain; flinch

noun

1. the act of wincing

Derived Forms

• ˈwincer, noun

Other Words From

• winc·er noun
• winc·ing·ly adverb
• winc·ing·ness noun

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

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

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.

Example Sentences

Zuraya Hadad instinctively winces as we watch a video of the incident in which her ribs were broken by a masked man wielding a large stick.

From BBC

During those final three games, Ohtani was seen wincing in pain multiple times after swings, and held his left arm to his chest while running the bases.

From Los Angeles Times

As she winces in pain, her father Mohammed Skayki fans her face, trying to distract her.

From BBC

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

Related Words

• back off
• blanch
• cower
• cringe
• flinch
• grimace
• recoil