wince
1[ wins ]
/ wɪns /
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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.
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Origin of wince
1synonym 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
wincer, nounwinc·ing·ly, adverbwinc·ing·ness, nounDefinition for wince (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for wince
British Dictionary definitions for wince (1 of 2)
wince1
/ (wɪns) /
verb
(intr) to start slightly, as with sudden pain; flinch
noun
the act of wincing
Derived forms of wince
wincer, nounWord 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
/ (wɪns) /
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
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