Meaning & use
winced
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“winced” is a form of “wince”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Made a quick, small movement of the face or body because of pain, embarrassment or distaste.
Grammar: No object, and often followed by at, in or when: he winced at the sound.
Patterns
- wince at something
- wince in pain
- wince when something happens
She winced when the nurse cleaned the cut.
He winced at the memory of his embarrassing speech.
The coach winced as the ball sailed over the goal.
verbintransitive
Reacted with visible discomfort to something unpleasant that you saw or heard, even if it did not hurt you.
Grammar: Used to describe a feeling of secondhand discomfort, often with at.
Patterns
- wince at something
The audience winced at the singer's off-key note.
I winced when I saw the price on the receipt.
The teacher winced at the spelling mistakes in the report.
Word forms
| third person singular | winces |
|---|---|
| past tense | winced |
| past participle | winced |
| -ing form | wincing |
Common combinations
- winced in pain
- He winced in pain as he stood up.
- winced at the thought
- She winced at the thought of meeting her old boss.
- winced visibly
- The player winced visibly after the tackle.
- winced when
- I winced when the dentist reached for the drill.
- winced slightly
- He winced slightly at her blunt comment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flinch
- Flinch is a sudden movement away from something feared, while wince is a facial tightening in reaction to pain or discomfort.
- grimace
- Grimace is a more obvious twisting of the face and can be deliberate, while wince is usually quick and involuntary.
- cringe
- Cringe suggests embarrassment or disgust, often about something awkward, whereas wince is closer to pain or sharp discomfort.
- recoil
- Recoil means jumping back in shock or disgust and is stronger and more physical than wince.
Word family
Commonly confused: winced or winch?
winced vs winch
A winch is a machine for lifting or pulling with a rope, and it is unrelated to a pained expression.
Practice
She ___ when the doctor touched her sore ankle.
Choose one answer.
Winced means made a quick face of pain, which fits touching a sore ankle. Winked is tempting because it is also a face movement, but it is a deliberate signal with one eye.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “winced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.