sprain

1 of 2

noun

ˈsprān 

1

: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments

2

: a sprained condition

sprain

2 of 2

verb

sprained; spraining; sprains

transitive verb

: to injure by a sudden or severe twist

Examples of sprain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

He was shut down for the remainder of the 2026 minor-league season after suffering a left shoulder capsular sprain in May, but is expected to be fully ready for 2027. — Brandon Liguori, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

After CeeDee Lamb suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out of three games at the start of the season, Flournoy emerged as a reliable target for quarterback Dak Prescott in becoming one of the team’s best breakout stories from a year ago. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Verb

Cloé Lacasse, forward, Utah Royals Lacasse is playing her first full season for Utah after rupturing an ACL and spraining an MCL in 2024 and missing much of 2025. — Karan Lodha, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

The girl group had to bow out of Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival August 27 after Megan Skiendiel sprained her ankle. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1622, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sprain

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

sprain

1 of 2 noun

ˈsprān 

1

: a sudden or severe twisting of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments

2

: a condition that results from a sprain and is usually marked by pain and swelling

sprain

2 of 2 verb

: to injure by a sudden or severe twist

Medical Definition

sprain

1 of 2 noun

ˈsprān 

: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint causing the stretching or tearing of ligaments and often rupture of blood vessels with hemorrhage into the tissues

also : the condition resulting from a sprain that is usually marked by swelling, inflammation, hemorrhage, and discoloration compare strain entry 3 sense b

sprain

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to weaken (a joint or ligament) by sudden and violent twisting or wrenching : stretch (ligaments) injuriously without dislocation of the joint