writhe

American  

[rahyth] / raɪð /

verb (used without object)

• writhes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• writhed,
  past participle,  past
• writhing
  present participle

1. to twist the body about or squirm, as in pain, violent effort, uncontrolled passion, etc.

   Synonyms:

   wriggle, contort, flail, thresh

2. to shrink mentally, as in acute discomfort.

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verb (used with object)

• writhes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• writhed,
  past participle,  past
• writhing
  present participle

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.

writhe British  

/ raɪð /

verb

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

2. (intr) to move with such motions

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

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noun

1. the act or an instance of writhing

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• writher
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• writhing
  present
• writhed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• writhe
  simple
• writhes
  simple
• have writhed
  perfect
• has writhed
  perfect
• am writhing
  progressive
• are writhing
  progressive
• is writhing
  progressive
• have been writhing
  perfect progressive
• has been writhing
  perfect progressive

Past

• writhed
  simple
• had writhed
  perfect
• was writhing
  progressive
• were writhing
  progressive
• had been writhing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will writhe
  simple
• will have writhed
  perfect
• will be writhing
  progressive
• will have been writhing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of writhe

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

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Explanation

To writhe is to squirm and twist. Often you'll see the phrase "to writhe in agony." Writhe when you've just ingested some stomach-wrenching poison, or perhaps in response to red ant stings. Writhe stems from the Old English, meaning "to twist or bend." It's not a coincidence that a Christmas wreath is greenery twisted and bent into a circle. A person can writhe in embarrassment but it's usually reserved for times when pain or discomfort cause you to twist and bend over and squirm because your body is in such distress.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

writhe writhes writhed writhing

“Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no,” Peyton Manning said as he watched Dart writhe on the ground while holding his knee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Instead, they take turns to silently perform a series of moves and poses that look, to the untrained eye, as if they are playing charades or, as they writhe on the ground, breakdancing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

When athletes tear ACLs in other sports, crowds are used to watching them writhe on the ground in agony.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

The Colombian star put on a spectacular show that saw her dance with knives, writhe in a fake cave and play a fiery guitar solo during Objection Tango.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2023

I walk to the center of the arena and my guts writhe as Peter comes toward me, taller than I remembered, arm muscles standing at attention.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

He twists and writhes against the police car, at times falling over on his side, as he waits 22 minutes for an ambulance.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2023

He writhes on the ground before being slumped up against a car, unable to properly sit up himself.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2023

All kinds of pestilence writhes within raw turkey meat, and safe preparation isn't just a good idea — it's a must to keep everyone at the Thanksgiving table safe.

From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2022

Goold and the choreographer Lynne Page have assembled a splendidly drilled ensemble that writhes and snakes across the stage in collective ecstasy.

From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2022

The river writhes around his calves, knees, thighs, and then waist.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Gamble recalled a performer who writhed on the floor while sob-singing Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5,” which could be sad considering the protagonist’s inability to maintain a steady relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

It came, it saw, it occasionally flopped and writhed on the grass, but it truly conquered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

"It's all of ours first day," said a curator, re-assembling the artwork as it writhed.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

Levis writhed and reached for his left leg, remaining on the turf while medical staff ran out to evaluate him.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023

His soul writhed with boredom, but for once he had had no impulse to shirk his evening at the Center.

From "1984" by George Orwell

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

There is no escape: Garbagemen find them in their shoes at night; or writhing in their arm hair; or embedded in their scalps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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

“What?” he bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from Ron’s grip.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

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