wince
1 Americanverb (used without object)
noun
noun
verb
noun
noun
Related Words
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 Word Forms
- wincer noun
- wincingly adverb
- wincingness noun
Etymology
Origin of wince
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; wench, winch 1
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.
Almost instantly, you might wince, make a face, or even pull your own hand away.
From Science Daily • Dec. 23, 2025
"The noise that made I was like: 'Oh my God,'" he remembered with a wince.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
So while people may wince at the price, they’re buying it anyway–and reserving the right to rant.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
We wince whenever the film leaps from Hank’s fresh-faced past to his throbbing present, especially when he sprints and we fear he’ll pop a stitch.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
The piercing look she had given him had made Fadi wince.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
