Meaning & use
winking
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“winking” is a form of “wink”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Closing and opening one eye quickly as a friendly, playful or knowing signal.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a winking face; the verb is wink.
Patterns
- a winking face
She sent a winking face at the end of her message to show she was joking.
The comedian gave the audience a winking glance.
The winking emoji can make a sentence sound playful.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Shining or flashing on and off in a bright, twinkling way.
Grammar: Often used for small lights: a winking light.
The winking lights of the distant town appeared below the hill.
A winking star showed between the clouds.
We followed the winking beacon across the dark water.
noununcountable
The act of closing and opening one eye as a signal, as in 'the winking went unnoticed'.
Grammar: Uncountable; the verb form wink is more common.
Patterns
- winking at someone
The winking across the table did not escape her teacher's notice.
His constant winking made the story seem like a joke.
There was a lot of winking and nodding during the meeting.
Common combinations
- winking face
- A winking face often shows that something is a joke.
- winking eye
- He gave a winking eye as he handed over the gift.
- winking lights
- The winking lights of the boat guided us in.
- winking and nodding
- There was plenty of winking and nodding as the deal was made.
- winking at someone
- She was winking at her brother across the room.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blinking
- Blinking usually involves both eyes, often unintentionally, while winking is a deliberate single-eye signal.
- twinkling
- Twinkling describes soft sparkling of light or eyes, but winking suggests a quick on-and-off flash or signal.
- flashing
- Flashing is stronger and more sudden than winking, which sounds gentle or playful.
- flirting
- Flirting is a broader behavior of romantic interest, and winking is only one small gesture within it.
Word family
Commonly confused: winking or blinking?
winking vs blinking
Blinking involves both eyes and is usually automatic, while winking uses one eye on purpose as a signal.
Practice
She added a ___ face to her message so he would know she was only teasing.
Choose one answer.
A winking face signals playful teasing. A frowning face would show displeasure and not suggest joking.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “winking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.