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wrick

wrick

9.9
A sudden painful muscle cramp in the neck or back
  • noun
  • /rɪk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : torcedura
  • She woke up with a wrick in her neck after sleeping awkwardly.

Examples

  • Lifting that heavy box gave me a sudden wrick in my back.

  • He felt a sharp wrick in his neck.

  • He couldn't turn his head because of a painful wrick.

  • After lifting the heavy box, I experienced a painful wrick in my back.

  • He couldn't turn his head because of a painful wrick in his neck.

  • Lifting that heavy box caused a sudden wrick in my back.

  • She woke up with a wrick in her neck after sleeping in an awkward position.

Synonyms

rick
vswrick
  • Archaic
431 9.9

A sudden painful tight muscle in the neck or back

is the preferred form describing neck or back muscle pain
spasm
vswrick
  • Specialized
58 3.9

A sudden tight movement of a muscle that causes pain

is limited to painful muscle contractions in neck or back
crick
vswrick
16 7.9

A sudden sharp pain in the neck or back that makes it hard to move

is similar but highlights pain in neck or back rather than movement
twitching
vswrick
12 4.3

A quick, sudden movement of a muscle you cannot control, often in an eyelid

is a stronger painful contraction mainly in neck or back rather than small movements
muscle spasm
vswrick
  • Specialized
7 3.4

A sudden tight movement of a muscle that hurts or feels uncomfortable

is focused on such pain specifically in the neck or back
kink
vswrick
4 6.1

A sudden painful tight feeling in the neck or back

is the more general term used for similar muscle pain
wryneck
vswrick
  • Specialized
9.9

The head is tilted to one side because neck muscles pull it

is a painful contraction in neck or back, not only twisted posture

Antonyms

440 1.0

A feeling of comfort when pain or worry goes away

190 1.0

A feeling of physical ease and being free from pain

How Painful

wrick
  • Archaic
9.9
cramp
77 2.1
ache
92 1.3
twinge
17 4.9

Surface Forms

wrick singular
wricks plural

Etymology

Wrick comes from an old English word meaning 'to twist' and is related to common words like wrench and wring. So a wrick is a sudden, painful 'twist' in a muscle, for example in the neck or back.