Showing results for "writhing"

• present participle of writhe.

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

Explanation

Writhing is a snake- or worm-like movement — a rolling and twisting motion, like your writhing brother who can't stand to have his feet tickled. When you picture a wreath, you probably think of a festive decoration hanging on someone's front door. So it might surprise you that this word shares its origin with writhing, a word that often describes a reaction to pain or extreme discomfort. The wreathes of today are rings — originally, a wreath was a bandage that wrapped around and around. Writhing is also a rolling, or circular motion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

writhing

Late last month, an Indonesia-based wildlife foundation shared footage showing an orangutan writhing on the ground on a palm oil plantation in West Kalimantan, one of Indonesia's hardest-hit provinces.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Chloe O. Davis devised writhing choreography for the six dancers who supplied some movement, in contrast to the mostly static chorus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Sixteen hours after Tatum was writhing on the court against the New York Knicks, he was stretched out on O’Malley’s operating table on the West side of Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

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

It took them no time to find the little group of people around Katie, who was still writhing and screaming on the ground; Ron, Hermione, and Leanne were all trying to quiet her.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling