to writhe
24
7.5
- verb
- /raɪð/
:
retorcerse
- The child was writhe on the ground after getting stung by a bee.
Speaking in double tongues, snakes writhe and hiss surround the heart.
- Speaking in double tongues, snakes writhe and hiss surround the heart.
- Yeah, that was him writhing in pain.
Examples
-
Well, we can't just leave them down there, writhing in pain.
-
Yeah, that was him writhing in pain.
-
We're not gonna eat all these... till we're sick... writhing on the floor in pain.
-
At some point, Rap is left in a room writhing in pain, and she dies four days later.
-
Several crewmen, caught in the killing heat, collapsed to the deck, writhing in agony.
Fiction book (1992) -
One day, I heard a bunch of yelling from across the street so I ran on over to Mr Hazard's and there were about 15 grown-ups standing around my dog Teddy, who was writhing on the ground in obvious agony.
-
Out staggers Melvin, wrapped in Pham Van's hook-tentacle, writhing in apparent agony.
Fiction book (1990) -
The athlete fell and began to writhe in pain after twisting his ankle.
-
She could be heard writhe in discomfort from the stomach cramps.
Synonyms
231
1.7
To turn something so it becomes a curved or spiral shape
68
3.9
To make small twisting movements of your body because you feel uncomfortable
28
3.7
To twist and turn the body with small quick movements to get free
Moving by twisting and turning like a snake
Moving with small twisting and squirming movements like a worm
How Contorted
Surface Forms
Etymology
Writhe comes from an old English word writhan meaning 'to twist'. Think of a wreath, which is something 'twisted' or 'wrapped' into a circle, and you can see why to writhe means to twist and turn your body, often from pain.