wince
/wɪns/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪns] /wɪns/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɪns] /ˈwin(t)s How to pronounce wince (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wince — verb
- wincepresent simple I / you / we / they
- winces3rd person singular
- wincing-ing form
- wincedpast simple
1. to make a sudden, tight movement of your face because you feel a short pain, hea
to make a sudden, tight movement of your face because you feel a short pain, hear or see something unpleasant, or remember something embarrassing
Camila winced when the dentist touched her sore tooth.
wince when + event triggers reaction
Wei winced at the memory of tripping on stage in front of everyone.
Romi winced as the nurse cleaned the cut on his knee with antiseptic.
Hearing the loud crash from the kitchen, Roya winced and rushed to check.
The old gardener winced every time he lifted a heavy bag of soil.
- flinch
flinch often involves a whole-body movement or pulling away; wince is more limited to the face
- grimace
grimace can be held longer and may show disapproval or disgust, not just pain or embarrassment
- cringe
cringe suggests a stronger feeling of embarrassment or fear, often with a shrinking body motion
用法筆記
Wince describes an involuntary reaction that lasts only a moment. Unlike flinch, which can involve the whole body pulling back, wince is usually limited to the face.
常見錯誤
wince — noun
- wincesingular
- wincesplural
1. a sudden movement of your face that reveals an instant of physical pain, embarra
a sudden movement of your face that reveals an instant of physical pain, embarrassment, or unease
Hannah gave a wince when the doctor touched her bruised arm.
give a wince — common collocation
A small wince crossed Léa's face as she read the text message.
Vikram tried to hide his wince as the spicy curry burned his tongue.
A barely visible wince crossed the teacher's face at the mention of forgotten homework.
用法筆記
The noun form is countable but almost always used in the singular. Common verb collocations: give a wince, let out a wince, suppress a wince, hide a wince.