Dictionary.com

wince

1
[ wins ]
/ wÉȘns /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: wince / winced / wincing on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), winced, winc·ing.
to draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow; start; flinch.
noun
a wincing or shrinking movement; a slight start.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of wince

1
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; cf. wench, winch1

synonym study for wince

1. 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM wince

winc·er, nounwinc·ing·ly, adverbwinc·ing·ness, noun

Words nearby wince

wimp out, wimpy, Wimshurst machine, win, win by a nose, wince, winced, wincey, winceyette, winch, Winchell

Other definitions for wince (2 of 2)

wince2
[ wins ]
/ wÉȘns /
noun
winch1 (def. 4).
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to wince

back off, blanch, cower, cringe, flinch, grimace, recoil, blench, dodge, duck, jib, quail, shrink, shy, start, swerve, turn, make a face

How to use wince in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wince (1 of 2)

wince1
/ (wÉȘns) /
verb
(intr) to start slightly, as with sudden pain; flinch
noun
the act of wincing

Derived forms of wince

wincer, noun

Word Origin for wince

C18 (earlier (C13) meaning: to kick): via Old French wencier, guenchir to avoid, from Germanic; compare Old Saxon wenkian, Old High German wenken

British Dictionary definitions for wince (2 of 2)

wince2
/ (wÉȘns) /
noun
a roller for transferring pieces of cloth between dyeing vats

Word Origin for wince

C17: variant of winch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK