writhing
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.
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.
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.
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.
Origin of writhing
1Other words from writhing
- writh·ing·ly, adverb
Words Nearby writhing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use writhing in a sentence
The pathetic dives and writhing on the field is a turn off to the most ardent American fan.
What Hillary Clinton Can Learn From Portugal, Costa Rica, and England in the World Cup | Nathan Daschle | July 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAfter the film came out, my stepfather said to me, ‘I hope you’re not doing any writhing in your next one.
How Hollywood’s Most Realistic Sex Scenes Were Made: ‘Don’t Look Now’ to ‘Nymphomaniac’ | Marlow Stern | March 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBoth are literally depictions of magical air, evocative of movement and potency stirring inside a writhing cloud.
Much of the love scene is composed of medium shots, with the camera focused on the two horizontal bodies writhing on a bed.
Inside ‘Blue is the Warmest Color’ And The Year’s Most Controversial Sex Scene | Marlow Stern | October 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBut a close examination of the actual practice itself reveals that the writhing, miserable reality of it is virtually undeniable.
"I ask no promise from you," continued the excited and suspicious man, writhing under a sense of his helplessness.
With a writhing motion she settled herself more securely in the hammock.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinHer feet crush creeping things: there is a busy ant or blazoned beetle, with its back broken, writhing in the dust, unseen.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordShe left behind her writhing all over the kitchen floor a pair of big blacksnakes.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret PenroseImagine his agony at the sight of his mother,—pale, inanimate, and from time to time writhing under a convulsive chill.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence | Eugne Sue
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