winced; wincing

intransitive verb

: to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain) : flinch
wince noun
Choose the Right Synonym for wince

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste.

recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.

recoiled at the suggestion of stealing

shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.

shrank from the unpleasant truth

flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.

faced her accusers without flinching

wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).

winced in pain

blench implies fainthearted flinching.

stood their ground without blenching

quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.

quailed before the apparition

Examples of wince in a Sentence

winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries
Recent Examples on the Web But at that precise moment, one companion was wincing too much to marvel at either. Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 6 Aug. 2024 Some people in the crowd shook their heads and winced. Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, 29 July 2024 Amalie winced like a woman with a hangover, looked out the window. Sarah Braunstein, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024 After popping up from a slide into home plate, Trevino winced. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for wince 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wince.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wynsen to kick out, start, from Anglo-French *wincer, *guincer to shift direction, dodge, by-form of guenchir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wenken, wankōn to totter — more at wench

First Known Use

circa 1748, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wince was circa 1748

Dictionary Entries Near wince

Cite this Entry

“Wince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wince. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

wince

verb
winced; wincing
: to shrink back (as from pain) : flinch
the cut on my leg caused me to wince
the crowd winced when the skater fell on the ice
wince noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wince

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