wince

¹ American  

[wins] / wɪns /

verb (used without object)

winced, wincing

1. to draw back or tense the body, as from pain or from a blow; start; flinch.

   Synonyms:

   quail, blench

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noun

1. a wincing or shrinking movement; a slight start.

wince ² American  

[wins] / wɪns /

noun

1. winch.

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wince ¹ British  

/ wɪns /

verb

1. (intr) to start slightly, as with sudden pain; flinch

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noun

1. the act of wincing

wince ² British  

/ wɪns /

noun

1. a roller for transferring pieces of cloth between dyeing vats

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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; cf. wench, winch ¹

Explanation

A wince is a facial or bodily expression of pain, disgust, or regret. Think of something you've done that was really, really embarrassing or dumb: now feel your face or take a look in the mirror as you wince at the uncomfortable memory. A moment of pain or a recollection of something painful can make you wince. It's hard not to have a physical response or a wince with a bad memory or a hurt. And wince is both a verb and a noun, so it can be an action or a result. Sometimes people don’t do anything or have any physical pain, but they wince in discomfort at what someone else does or says, as when no one laughs after a really inappropriate joke.

Example Sentences

The aptly-named Wince is a character who worries too much, not least when his "nemesis" the WorryBug hoves into view.

From The Guardian • Dec. 14, 2012

Wince at the obligatory falling-out, melt at the make-up and sit back for the pay-off, in which they make up and drink some more tea.

From The Guardian • Oct. 12, 2012

Wince, wins, v.i. to shrink or start back: to be affected acutely, as by a sarcasm: to be restive, as a horse uneasy at its rider.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

He did not complain at it,—he did not "Wince and cry aloud."

From Darkwater Voices from Within the Veil by Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)

The Jig Wince or Wince Dye Beck.—This dyeing machine is very largely used, particularly in the dyeing of woollen cloths.

From The Dyeing of Cotton Fabrics A Practical Handbook for the Dyer and Student by Beech, Franklin

Related Words

• back off
• blanch
• cower
• cringe
• flinch
• grimace
• recoil