flinch — to make a quick, nervous movement of the face or body as an instinctive reaction to fear or pain
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make a quick, nervous movement of the face or body as an instinctive reaction to fear or pain
Pronunciation (IPA): /flɪntʃ/
Example Sentences
- The brave knight didn't flinch even when the dragon breathed fire right at his face.
- I always flinch when my mom suddenly appears while I'm playing games.
- The experienced surgeon never flinches during complicated operations.
flinch
VERB[/flɪntʃ/]
to make a quick, nervous movement of the face or body as an instinctive reaction to fear or pain
Instinctive recoil from approaching pain
Move inch by inch, then flinch from the pinch!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'flinch' derives from 16th-century French 'flenchir', meaning to bend or flex. Originally denoting a sideways movement or dodge, it evolved over time to describe an immediate physical or involuntary reaction to pain, fear, or discomfort.
Breakdown
flenchir (French: to bend, to flex) → flinch (to recoil or wince). The morphological shift reflects a semantic narrowing from general flexing motion to a specific reactive movement in response to unpleasant stimuli.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The brave knight didn't flinch even when the dragon breathed fire right at his face.”
“I always flinch when my mom suddenly appears while I'm playing games.”
“The experienced surgeon never flinches during complicated operations.”
“She flinched when she heard the horror movie soundtrack coming from her brother's room.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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