handwringing
Americannoun
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a physical expression of concern, distress, or guilt.
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the nervous grasping or squeezing of the hands as a sign of these feelings.
Other Word Forms
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.
But speaking of visibility—even though so much of the handwringing around fertility rates has been about how women’s lives have changed in the past few decades, there’s a more obvious target.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
All these iterations of female friendship received their fair share of hatred and handwringing in the popular culture of their time.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2025
"He didn't let US government clucking and handwringing stop him," says Robert Carlin.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025
In some quarters, the pace of change and the dangers of runaway AI, as seen in dystopian movies, have produced intense handwringing.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
After some pre-show handwringing that included cancelling a planned performance by Ye due to some of his concerning online behavior.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2022
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
