sprain
Americanverb (used with object)
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sprains,
present (3rd person singular)
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sprained,
past participle, past
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spraining
present participle
noun
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sprains
plural
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a violent straining or wrenching of the parts around a joint, without dislocation.
-
the condition of being sprained.
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See strain 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sprainsimple
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sprainssimple
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have sprainedperfect
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has sprainedperfect
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am sprainingprogressive
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are sprainingprogressive
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is sprainingprogressive
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have been sprainingperfect progressive
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has been sprainingperfect progressive
Past
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sprainedsimple
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had sprainedperfect
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was sprainingprogressive
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were sprainingprogressive
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had been sprainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sprain
First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain
Explanation
To sprain one of your joints is to twist it suddenly. The result is a sprain, in which the ligaments have been injured. Don’t go hiking in high heels because you might sprain your ankle. A sprain — which occurs at joints such as the wrist, elbow, or knee — happens when the ligaments are turned quickly and painfully. After the initial pain, a sprain will swell up. Spraining something is difficult, but things could be worse — a sprained knee will heal quicker than a broken bone.
Vocabulary lists containing sprain
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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.
See Examples For:
Recall, James suffered a grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the deciding loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
All-American Yaxel Lendeborg, gutting out a knee sprain, added 13.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Lyla had already spent more than a year dealing with pain that was initially thought to be a sprain or small fracture.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
Baker-Mazara had missed three games last month because of a knee sprain and sat out practices throughout the season because of nagging minor injuries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
Esther’s black high heels were shaky, and as she walked past, Ifemelu worried that the shoes would collapse and sprain Esther’s ankles.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Lower limb injuries including sprains, bone damage and wear and tear of the tendons are common, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Garrett sustained shoulder and biceps sprains and was sidelined for the Browns’ game that week against the Atlanta Falcons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
But the walk-in centre is not for medical emergencies, sprains, repeat prescriptions or long-term conditions.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
Fact: Back pain is usually caused by muscle strains or sprains, not by a serious condition like a disc or vertebrae issue.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025
They licked their lips and clucked their tongues in fond remembrance of pains they had endured—childbirth, rheumatism, croup, sprains, backaches, piles.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
The Dodgers put the final touches on their trade deadline, adding catching depth as Dalton Rushing went on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left elbow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Or they didn’t think that the city should be burning tens of millions of dollars to send fire trucks “to every overdose, every sprained ankle, every toothache,” as Mr. Pratt has said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Thomas was taken to hospital, where he said he was lucky to only suffer "sprained ankles and minor stuff".
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
For the Rockets, Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
Once Victor realized that Prosper had gotten away, he kicked the nearest wooden post he could find, sprained his foot—and then hobbled home.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
Cronin went back to his normal starting lineup with the exception of forward Tyler Bilodeau, who was out after spraining his left knee in practice Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
Raducanu has not played since spraining ligaments in her foot during a Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina on 21 September.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2024
Dallas’ Maxi Kleber didn’t return after spraining his right shoulder when he took a hard fall on a blocking foul against Amir Coffey on a drive in the first minute of the second quarter.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton was inactive after spraining an ankle in Buffalo last Sunday.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
She worried that if either action became routine, she could have a bad accident, spraining an ankle, breaking a bone, or worse.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
