wrest
[ rest ]
/ rɛst /
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verb (used with object)
to twist or turn; pull, jerk, or force by a violent twist.
to take away by force: to wrest a knife from a child.
to get by effort: to wrest a living from the soil.
to twist or turn from the proper course, application, use, meaning, or the like; wrench.
noun
a wresting; twist or wrench.
a key or small wrench for tuning stringed musical instruments, as the harp or piano, by turning the pins to which the strings are fastened.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of wrest
First recorded before 1000; (verb) Middle English wresten, Old English wrǣstan “to turn, twist,” from unattested Old Norse wreista (Icelandic reista ); akin to wrist; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb and first recorded in 1350-1400
synonym study for wrest
3. See extract.
OTHER WORDS FROM wrest
wrester, nounun·wrest·ed, adjectiveun·wrest·ing, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wrest
rest, wrestWords nearby wrest
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for wrest
British Dictionary definitions for wrest
wrest
/ (rɛst) /
verb (tr)
to take or force away by violent pulling or twisting
to seize forcibly by violent or unlawful means
to obtain by laborious effort
to distort in meaning, purpose, etc
noun
the act or an instance of wresting
archaic a small key used to tune a piano or harp
Derived forms of wrest
wrester, nounWord Origin for wrest
Old English wrǣstan; related to Old Norse reista. See writhe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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