wince

verb

ˈwin(t)s 

winced; wincing

intransitive verb

: to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain) : flinch

wince noun

Synonyms

• blench
• cringe
• flinch
• quail
• recoil
• shrink
• squinch

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

The pianist winced at the bassist, and the saxophonist struggled to find any space in the rhythm. —Ariel Katz, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Artists who worked with or were professionally close to Combs, such as Usher might now wince at their association. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024

Readers will wince, but such human appeals are also a spur to action. —Paul Collier, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2011

Reclining seats won’t be coming to Wizz Air’s longer routes, while legroom will remain limited, leaving prospective passengers wincing about newfound levels of discomfort. —Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 18 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

wince

verb

ˈwin(t)s 

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