wince
verb/wɪns/
/wɪns/
[intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they wince | /wɪns/ /wɪns/ |
| he / she / it winces | /ˈwɪnsɪz/ /ˈwɪnsɪz/ |
| past simple winced | /wɪnst/ /wɪnst/ |
| past participle winced | /wɪnst/ /wɪnst/ |
| -ing form wincing | /ˈwɪnsɪŋ/ /ˈwɪnsɪŋ/ |
- wince (at something) to suddenly make an expression with your face that shows that you are embarrassed or feeling pain
- He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg.
- I still wince when I think about that stupid thing I said.
- He winced inwardly at her harsh tone.
- She switched on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- a little
- slightly
- etc.
- …
- try not to
- cause somebody to
- make somebody
- …
- at
- from
- in
- …
Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘kick restlessly from pain or impatience’): from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French guenchir ‘turn aside’.Definitions on the go
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wince