wink

¹

[wingk]

verb (used without object)

1. to close and open one eye quickly as a hint or signal or with some sly meaning (often followed byat ).

   She winked at him across the room.

2. to shine with little flashes of light; twinkle.

   The city lights winked in the distance.

   Synonyms: sparkle

3. to close and open one or both eyes quickly.

verb (used with object)

1. to signal or convey by closing and opening one eye quickly.

   Wink one eye if you need help later.

2. to close and open (one or both eyes) quickly.

3. to drive or force by opening and closing the eyes rapidly (usually followed by back oraway ).

   She attempted to wink back the tears.

noun

1. a winking movement, especially of one eye in giving a hint or signal.

   I gave the judges a wink of my eye to show my confidence.

2. a hint or signal given by closing and opening one eye rapidly.

   Her wink assured me the plan was still on.

3. an act of closing and opening one eye rapidly.

4. the time required for closing and opening the eyes once; an instant or twinkling.

   I'll be there in a wink.

5. a little flash of light; twinkle.

6. the least bit.

   I didn't sleep a wink last night.

verb phrase

1. wink at,  to ignore deliberately, as to avoid the necessity of taking action.

   to wink at minor offenses.

wink

²

[wingk]

noun

Games.

1. a disk or similar small object used in tiddlywinks.

wink

¹

/ wɪŋk /

verb

1. (intr) to close and open one eye quickly, deliberately, or in an exaggerated fashion to convey friendliness, etc

2. to close and open (an eye or the eyes) momentarily

3. (tr; foll by away, back, etc) to force away (tears, etc) by winking

4. (tr) to signal with a wink

5. (intr) (of a light) to gleam or flash intermittently

noun

1. a winking movement, esp one conveying a signal, etc, or such a signal

2. an interrupted flashing of light

3. a brief moment of time; instant

4. informal,  the smallest amount, esp of sleep See also forty winks

5. informal,  to give a hint

wink

²

/ wɪŋk /

noun

1. a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks

Other Word Forms

• winkingly adverb
• unwinking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wink¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb winken, Old English wincian; cognate with German winken “to wave, signal”; the noun is derivative of the verb

Origin of wink²

First recorded in 1890–95; extracted from tiddlywinks

Word History and Origins

Origin of wink¹

Old English wincian; related to Old Saxon wincon, Old High German winchan, German winken to wave. See _wench , _winch

Origin of wink²

C20: shortened from _tiddlywinks

Idioms and Phrases

• forty winks
• quick as a wink
• sleep a wink

Synonym Study

Wink, blink refer to rapid motions of the eyelid. To wink is to close and open either one or both eyelids with a rapid motion, often intentionally or as a signal. To blink suggests an involuntary movement, sometimes due to a sleepy, dazed, or dazzled condition in which it is difficult to focus the eyes or see clearly: Bright sun makes most people blink.

Example Sentences

At the anniversary special, he told the audience with a wink that his mother had always insisted the character was “an exaggeration.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The stars in the water wink at me as I fall deeper into the cold and farther into the otherworldly dark.

Read more on Literature

The korablik caught the light, winking with each change of the breeze.

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Quick as a wink, she removed a hairpin and used it to secure the broken latch.

Read more on Literature

The young man shook hands with the boys and winked down at the tiny girl.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• gleam 
• glimmer 
• twinkle 

When To Use

What does wink mean?

To wink is to close and reopen one or both eyes quickly, often as a subtle signal or hint to someone.To wink is also to shine with little flashes of light (to twinkle), as in Naomi gazed up at the winking stars and sighed.To wink can also mean to blink, but often it is reserved for the blinking of one eye.A wink is the act of winking.A wink is also the time it takes to wink. This is often used figuratively rather than literally, as in This year went by in a wink!A wink can also mean the least bit, as in I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. Because a wink is normally quick, the example sentence implies you didn’t get the smallest bit of sleep.Example: She winked at me from the other room, signalling that it’s time to leave.