writhe

[ rahyth ]
See synonyms for: writhewrithedwrithing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),writhed, writh·ing.
  1. to twist the body about or squirm, as in pain, violent effort, uncontrolled passion, etc.

  2. to shrink mentally, as in acute discomfort.

verb (used with object),writhed, writh·ing.
  1. to twist or bend out of shape or position; distort; contort.

  2. to twist (oneself, the body, etc.) about, as in pain.

noun
  1. a writhing movement; a twisting of the body, as in pain.

Origin of writhe

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English writhen (verb), Old English wrīthan “to twist, wind”; cognate with Old Norse rītha “to knit, twist”; akin to wreath, wry

Other words for writhe

Other words from writhe

  • writh·er, noun

Words that may be confused with writhe

Words Nearby writhe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use writhe in a sentence

  • He had got under the armor of his enemy at last, and he could feel him wince and writhe at each thrust that he drove home.

    Love's Pilgrimage | Upton Sinclair
  • Shall the gazer who would read the secrets of the stars turn because under his feet a worm may writhe?

British Dictionary definitions for writhe

writhe

/ (raɪð) /


verb
  1. to twist or squirm in or as if in pain

  2. (intr) to move with such motions

  1. (intr) to suffer acutely from embarrassment, revulsion, etc

noun
  1. the act or an instance of writhing

Origin of writhe

1
Old English wrīthan; related to Old High German rīdan, Old Norse rītha. See wrath, wreath, wrist, wroth

Derived forms of writhe

  • writher, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012