🔄 To turn or wind 🔄 A turning movement 🔀 An unexpected change 🌀 To misrepresent 🤕 To sprain 🕺 A 1960s dance 🕺 To dance 💇 A twisted hairstyle 🤕 A sprain

twist

1 3.7

A sudden injury to a joint or muscle from turning it awkwardly

noun
/twɪst/

: torcedura

After he landed awkwardly, he felt a sharp twist in his ankle that left him unable to walk.
ankle twist

Examples

A sprain is an injury to ligament tissue usually caused by a wrench or twist, resulting in decreased joint stability.

Academic text (2003)
I saw his ankle twist when he hit the cinders, and he fell in a heap.

Fiction book (1999)
She winced as a sudden twist in her knee reminded her of her previous injury.
The doctor explained that a twist in the ligament could take weeks to heal properly.

Synonyms

strain

vstwist

22 4.2

An injury to a muscle or tendon caused by overstretching that causes pain

is a sudden injury from awkward turning rather than gradual overuse

wrench

vstwist

4 4.3

A sudden strong pull that causes pain or a strong sad feeling when you leave someone

is a sudden injury from awkward stretching or turning of a limb

pull

vstwist

3 4.8

An injury to a muscle caused by stretching it too much

is a sudden injury caused by awkward turning rather than slow overstretching

Idioms

to twist someone's arm

Informal

10 4.4

Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them

to get your knickers in a twist

1 9.1

To become upset or worried about small things

twist of the knife

Informal

1 8.9

A hurtful comment or action that makes someone feel worse after bad news

Compounds

unexpected twist

4 4.2

A surprising event in a story that changes the expected outcome

fun twist

1 3.4

A surprising change that makes something more fun

modern twist on

1 4.3

A new version of an old idea used in fashion, food, or stories

twist drill

Specialized

1 4.9

A small cutting tool with spiral grooves that makes holes in wood or metal

twist-off lid

1 2.6

A lid you turn to open and close, usually on jars or bottles

twist bit

Specialized

1 5.5

A drill part with spiral grooves that cuts holes in wood or metal

spicy twist

1 3.9

A small unexpected hot flavor added to a dish

twist song

Archaic

1 5.5

A song for the Twist dance that made people dance in the 1960s

twist-off cap

1 2.1

A lid you open by turning to remove from a bottle or jar

twist wood

9.9

A bush that loses its leaves and has red berries that turn black when ripe

How Serious

to rupture

92 6.8

tear

79 1.0

twist

1 3.7

tweak

1 4.6

Surface Forms

twist singular

twists plural

Etymology

Twist is from an old word meaning 'to turn', so a muscle or ligament 'twist' is when a body part is turned or stretched the wrong way and becomes injured. That's why a quick 'twist' can cause pain.