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to sprain

to sprain

61 3.2
To injure a joint by suddenly twisting it, causing pain and swelling but not a bone break
  • verb
  • /spreɪn/
translation icon : torcerse
  • After tripping over a rock, I sprained my wrist and had to wear a brace.
  • sprain an ankle

The crazy part about it, man, my best season in basketball, I sprained my ankle my best.

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Examples

  • You will fall and sprain your wrist.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Maybe we needed transportation because Faye sprained her ankle.

  • You're gonna sprain your neck.

  • I know very little about sport, but from what I've heard, you can very easily sprain your ankle.

  • - I remember that time you sprained your wrist at the football game.

  • Alf Jordan sprained his ankle while on holiday.

  • So you know, for example, you sprain your ankle and you know that hurts, but you get up and you walk on it and you're like, oh, this, this sucks.

  • They'll gladly welcome him back when his sprained right ankle is healthy, though.

    Blog text (23)
  • Her chin, nose, and forehead were skinned from hitting the carpet, and her right wrist was sprained by the fall.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Arizona Wildcats safety Jared Tevis' sprained ankle could make him a no-go on Saturday.

    Blog text (16)

Synonyms

to twist
vsto sprain
152 2.2

To turn a joint or part of your body so it becomes injured

is a sudden joint injury that causes swelling but not bone break
to turn
vsto sprain
54 3.7

Twist a joint suddenly so it becomes sore or injured

applies to any joint rather than mainly to the ankle
to wrench
vsto sprain
15 5.3

To twist part of your body suddenly so it hurts

is the medical joint injury caused by sudden twisting with swelling but no dislocation
to wrick
vsto sprain
  • Archaic
9.9

To twist part of the body suddenly so it hurts and may sprain

is the medical name for that sudden joint injury without bone break
to rick
vsto sprain
  • UK
9.9

To twist or sprain a body part suddenly, for example an ankle

focuses on joint injury causing swelling and excluding dislocation or fracture

Antonyms

481 1.2

To become healthy again after an injury, illness, or emotional pain

75 4.3

To become steady and stop changing

How Severe

to rupture
95 6.8
to sprain
61 3.2
tweak
2 4.6

Surface Forms

sprain infinitive
sprained past
sprained past participle
spraining present participle
sprains third person singular

Etymology

Sprain comes from an old word like press, which means 'to press' or 'to twist', so to sprain a joint is to twist or force it and make it painful.