writhing

American  

[rahy-thing] / ˈraɪ ðɪŋ /

adjective

1. twisting about or squirming, as from pain, violent effort, uncontrolled passion, etc..

   I saw a big red-tailed hawk carry a writhing blacksnake across the sky.

2. feeling or expressing acute mental discomfort or distress.

   His words were a writhing mix of anger and confusion and he didn't spare her any of it.

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noun

1. an act or instance of twisting about or squirming.

   The writhing of these fly larvae around their food looks rather strange, but it turns out there's a reason for their wriggling.

2. the state of feeling or act of expressing acute mental discomfort or distress.

   Perpetual fear and mistrust, inner pain, or the writhing of conscience may render a human existence worse than death.

Other Word Forms

• writhingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of writhing

First recorded in 1350–1400; writh(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; writh(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

As soon as Mahomes was left writhing on the ground and grabbing his knee late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, it was clear he had sustained a serious injury.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

The ghost of Gaga past re-emerges for Perfect Celebrity, writhing with camp energy in a shallow grave as she sings about the pressure and torture of stardom.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

When she refuses, Spears grabs the trimmer and clicks it on: “The extensions are hacked into lifeless scraps … the stray hairs curl on the floor like writhing snakes.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2025

James Garfield’s assassination in 1881 involved 79 days of writhing medical purgatory.

From Slate • Aug. 9, 2024

They wrap around her small, squirming body, until she's swaddled inside a pink chrysalis like a writhing worm.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton