Wince
/wɪns/noun
To shrink back or flinch, especially in pain or distress.
Did you know?The word 'wince' is linked to expressions of physical suffering, revealing how deeply our language is woven with the body’s reactions to the world around us.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wīkaną
“to bend, move, or turn away”
Old English
OE
wincian
“to bend or to yield”
Middle English
ME
wincen
“to flinch or shrink back”
Modern English
English
wince
“to involuntarily flinch due to pain or distress”