wink

1 of 2

verb

ˈwiŋk 

winked; winking; winks

intransitive verb

1

: to shut one eye briefly as a signal or in teasing

2

: to close and open the eyelids quickly

3

: to avoid seeing or noting something

—usually used with at

4

: to gleam or flash intermittently : twinkle

her glasses winking in the sunlight

—Harper Lee

5

a

: to come to an end

—usually used with out

b

: to stop shining

—usually used with out

6

: to signal a message with a light

transitive verb

1

: to cause to open and shut

2

: to affect or influence by or as if by blinking the eyes

wink

2 of 2

noun

1

: a brief period of sleep : nap

catching a wink

2

a

: a hint or sign given by winking

b

: an act of winking

3

: the time of a wink : instant

quick as a wink

4

: a flicker of the eyelids : blink

Synonyms

Verb

• blink

Noun

• catnap
• doze
• drowse
• forty winks
• kip [chiefly British]
• nap
• siesta
• snooze

Examples of wink in a Sentence

Verb

He winked and said that he understood.

She winked at me as she asked what I was doing tonight.

She winked an eye at me.

The puppy was winking in the bright sun.

The stars winked in the night sky.

The airplane's landing lights winked on and off.

Noun

Her wink told me she was just kidding.

“I knew you could do it,” he said with a wink.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Commas and quotation marks wink from around the room. —Thao Thai, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025

Vonnegut begged readers to choose kindness, to keep winking through the darkness. —Devin Kelly, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2025

Noun

In the absence of such winks and nods, the film would play like a high-budget hostage video. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025

The slightest of nods, the lightest of winks, and an awful lot of listening are components that make up a Christie mystery. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wincian; akin to Old High German winchan to stagger, wink and perhaps to Latin vacillare to sway, Sanskrit vañcati he goes crookedly

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wink

• (as) quick as a wink
• give (someone) a wink
• in a wink
• not get a wink of sleep
• not sleep a wink
• sleep a wink
• tip (someone) the wink
• wink at

Rhymes for wink

• blink
• brink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink
• fink
• hink
• ink
• kink
• klink

Kids Definition

wink

1 of 2 verb

ˈwiŋk 

1

: to close and open one eye quickly as a signal or hint

saw her friend wink and knew it was time to go

2

: to close and open the eyes quickly : blink

3

: to avoid seeing or noting something

wink at a parking violation

4

: to gleam or shine on and off : twinkle

wink

2 of 2 noun

1

: a brief period of sleep : nap

catching a wink

2

a

: a hint or sign given by winking

b

: an act of winking

3

: the time of a wink : instant

quick as a wink she did the job

Medical Definition

wink

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈwiŋk 

: to close and open the eyelids quickly

wink

2 of 2 noun

: a quick closing and opening of the eyelids : blink