twinge

noun \ ˈtwinj \

Definition of twinge

1 :a sudden sharp stab of pain

2 :a moral or emotional pang

a twinge of conscience

a twinge of sympathy

See twinge defined for English-language learners

Examples of twinge in a Sentence

He felt a twinge of arthritis when he stood up.
I still feel an occasional twinge in my leg from the accident.
I felt a twinge of guilt.
I must admit to a twinge of envy.

Recent Examples of twinge from the Web

Dakota Crawford/IndyStar INDIANAPOLIS — When Week 6 of last season rolled around, Luke Johnston was starting to feel a twinge in his lower back.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "Meet the Indianapolis QBs carrying No. 1 Saint Francis and No. 5 Marian to national power," 29 Aug. 2017
And the twinge that forecast the deluge was Donald Trump Jr. facing a camera and issuing what sounded a little like an apology.

— david von drehle, Time, "How Donald Trump Jr.'s Emails Have Cranked Up the Heat on His Family," 13 July 2017
When a teammate smacked a double, Nevin rounded third base and felt a twinge in that same hamstring.

— terry monahan, Pomerado News, "PHS graduate Nevin determined to overcome string of injuries," 5 July 2017
That assertion, later contradicted by Palin herself, indicated that the committee felt a twinge of guilt about its imagery, the Times could argue.

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "How to argue Sarah Palin v. New York Times," 28 June 2017
When LSU starting pitcher Eric Walker sustained a twinge his pitching arm and unexpectedly ended his night while throwing to the first OSU batter of the third inning, his absence seemed to reverberate throughout the Tigers' lineup.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Oregon State leaves LSU with no doubt who's the national championship contender and who's the pretender," 20 June 2017
The old tendonitis twinge in her elbow was gone, and most of the new pain at the wrists had dissipated.

— elisabeth egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award runner-up: "The Lobster’s Daughter" by Leah Velez," 10 June 2017
CLEVELAND, OH -- Crowds strolling on the historic brick street couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for the summer of love nearly 50 years ago during the Hessler Street Fair on Sunday.

— lisa dejong, cleveland.com, "Hessler Street Fair (photos)," 4 June 2017
A cold electric twinge shot down her back, down her leg, while walking, sitting, standing, or lying down.

— matthew klam, Esquire, "Money Honey," 4 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twinge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of twinge

1608

twinge Synonyms

Synonyms

ache, pang, prick, shoot, smart, sting, stitch, throe, tingle, pain

Related Words

discomfort, distress, soreness, tenderness; affliction, agony, anguish, misery, sufferance, suffering, torment, torture; inflammation, sore, swelling; damage, detriment, harm, hurt, injury; backache, bellyache, charley horse, colic, complaint, earache, gripe, headache, stomachache, toothache

Near Antonyms

comfort, ease, easiness

twinge

verb

Definition of twinge

twinged; twinging play \ˈtwin-jiŋ\ or twingeing

transitive verb

1 dialect :pluck, tweak

2 :to affect with a sharp pain or pang

intransitive verb

:to feel a sudden sharp local pain

See twinge defined for kids

Recent Examples of twinge from the Web

The result is an often heartfelt, always clean set with a focus on families and small-town life, all twinged with a healthy dose of non-sequitur madness (his Instagram account, for example, consists mostly of photos of tomatoes).

— nick vadala, Philly.com, "Comedian Joe Pera brings his grandfatherly stylings to Philadelphia this weekend," 16 June 2017
Bar Botellón, named for the endlessly popular Spanish tradition of public drinking, embraces this style, offering fusion-y bites of Spanish tortilla twinged with lemon rind or crostini topped with a pimento spread.

— michael russell | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Portland's 10 best* Spanish restaurants," 7 June 2017
A few minutes later, when his crossover and soaring dunk put the Warriors up 22-3, worries that Durant’s twinged calf muscle would slow him were out the window.

— anthony slater, The Mercury News, "Warriors smack Blazers in Game 4 rout, complete dominant first round sweep," 24 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of twinge

Middle English twengen, from Old English twengan; akin to Old High German zwengen to pinch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

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TWINGE Defined for English Language Learners

twinge

noun

Definition of twinge for English Language Learners

: a sudden and usually slight pain
: a sudden slight feeling or emotion

TWINGE Defined for Kids

twinge

noun \ ˈtwinj \

Definition of twinge for Students

:a sudden sharp stab (as of pain or emotion)

She felt a twinge of envy.

twinge

verb

Definition of twinge for Students

twinged; twinging or twingeing

:to affect with or feel a sudden sharp pain or emotion

Medical Dictionary

twinge

noun \ ˈtwinj \

medical Definition of twinge

:a sudden sharp stab of pain

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twinge

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