writhing

[rahy-thing]

adjective

1. twisting about or squirming, as from pain, violent effort, uncontrolled passion, etc..

   I saw a big red-tailed hawk carry a writhing blacksnake across the sky.

2. feeling or expressing acute mental discomfort or distress.

   His words were a writhing mix of anger and confusion and he didn't spare her any of it.

noun

1. an act or instance of twisting about or squirming.

   The writhing of these fly larvae around their food looks rather strange, but it turns out there's a reason for their wriggling.

2. the state of feeling or act of expressing acute mental discomfort or distress.

   Perpetual fear and mistrust, inner pain, or the writhing of conscience may render a human existence worse than death.

Other Word Forms

• writhingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of writhing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; writh(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; writh(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

The ghost of Gaga past re-emerges for Perfect Celebrity, writhing with camp energy in a shallow grave as she sings about the pressure and torture of stardom.

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And that’s kind of what happened until her final hours when her breathing became so labored she was writhing and wrenching herself upright trying to get air.

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When she refuses, Spears grabs the trimmer and clicks it on: “The extensions are hacked into lifeless scraps … the stray hairs curl on the floor like writhing snakes.”

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“Perfect Celebrity” and “Disease” had her writhing in a shallow grave surrounded by the undead.

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They found Ms Marshall still conscious and writhing around in "extreme pain" on the floor of the living room, which was covered in black smoke.

Read more on BBC