wink
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to signal or convey by closing and opening one eye quickly.
Wink one eye if you need help later.
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to close and open (one or both eyes) quickly.
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to drive or force by opening and closing the eyes rapidly (usually followed by back oraway ).
She attempted to wink back the tears.
noun
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a winking movement, especially of one eye in giving a hint or signal.
I gave the judges a wink of my eye to show my confidence.
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a hint or signal given by closing and opening one eye rapidly.
Her wink assured me the plan was still on.
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an act of closing and opening one eye rapidly.
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the time required for closing and opening the eyes once; an instant or twinkling.
I'll be there in a wink.
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a little flash of light; twinkle.
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the least bit.
I didn't sleep a wink last night.
verb phrase
noun
verb
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(intr) to close and open one eye quickly, deliberately, or in an exaggerated fashion to convey friendliness, etc
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to close and open (an eye or the eyes) momentarily
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(tr; foll by away, back, etc) to force away (tears, etc) by winking
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(tr) to signal with a wink
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(intr) (of a light) to gleam or flash intermittently
noun
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a winking movement, esp one conveying a signal, etc, or such a signal
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an interrupted flashing of light
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a brief moment of time; instant
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informal the smallest amount, esp of sleep See also forty winks
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informal to give a hint
noun
Usage
What does wink mean? To wink is to close and reopen one or both eyes quickly, often as a subtle signal or hint to someone. To wink is also to shine with little flashes of light (to twinkle), as in Naomi gazed up at the winking stars and sighed. To wink can also mean to blink, but often it is reserved for the blinking of one eye. A wink is the act of winking. A wink is also the time it takes to wink. This is often used figuratively rather than literally, as in This year went by in a wink!A wink can also mean the least bit, as in I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. Because a wink is normally quick, the example sentence implies you didn’t get the smallest bit of sleep. Example: She winked at me from the other room, signalling that it’s time to leave.
Related Words
Wink, blink refer to rapid motions of the eyelid. To wink is to close and open either one or both eyelids with a rapid motion, often intentionally or as a signal. To blink suggests an involuntary movement, sometimes due to a sleepy, dazed, or dazzled condition in which it is difficult to focus the eyes or see clearly: Bright sun makes most people blink.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wink1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb winken, Old English wincian; cognate with German winken “to wave, signal”; the noun is derivative of the verb
Origin of wink2
First recorded in 1890–95; extracted from tiddlywinks
Explanation
When you wink, you quickly close and open one eye. Sometimes a wink indicates a joke, a secret, or affection — and sometimes it just means you got something in your eye. Whenever your jokester uncle winks at you, it's like a private signal letting you know that the next thing he says will be a tall tale. Your best friend's wink might mean "Can you believe what the math teacher just said?" A wink is an often humorous way to communicate without speaking — but it requires some understanding between the winker and the person seeing the wink. Otherwise, it's nothing but an eye twitch.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Wink conjures a land of “trees like skyscrapers, like celestial tent pegs pounded into the earth to hold the black tarp of the sky in place.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Wink Martindale, the king of the television game show who hosted ‘Tic-Tac-Dough,’ ‘Gambit’ and ‘High Rollers,’ died Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025
Mr Stovall, known as Mikey, was travelling home from an annual hunting trip with friends, Christina Stovall told Wink News.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025
Don’t miss the carrot cake at Wink Wink Food and Drink, the onsite restaurant and bar.
From Salon • Jan. 26, 2025
Navy made a bid, charging forward as they passed under the railroad bridge at the two-mile mark, but Wink Winslow called for more.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
