wince

verb

ˈwin(t)s 

winced; wincing

intransitive verb

: to shrink back involuntarily (as from pain) : flinch

wince noun

Synonyms

• flinch
• recoil
• cringe

Choose the Right Synonym for wince

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste.

recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.

recoiled at the suggestion of stealing

shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.

shrank from the unpleasant truth

flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.

faced her accusers without flinching

wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).

winced in pain

blench implies fainthearted flinching.

stood their ground without blenching

quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.

quailed before the apparition

Examples of wince in a Sentence

winced at the movie's graphic depiction of combat injuries

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s our job, to bring up the uncomfortable and talk about the topics people wince at. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025

Not to mention wincing in pain any time another museum donation gets shipped off. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025

Immediately, Moore was on the ground and wincing in pain. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025

Aramayo is excellent in the role, easily transversing between John’s pain and confusion and a wincing humor about the whole situation. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wynsen to kick out, start, from Anglo-French *wincer, *guincer to shift direction, dodge, by-form of guenchir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wenken, wankōn to totter — more at wench

First Known Use

circa 1748, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wince

• mince
• prince
• quince
• rinse
• since
• convince
• evince

Kids Definition

wince

verb

ˈwin(t)s 

winced; wincing

: to shrink back (as from pain) : flinch

the cut on my leg caused me to wince

the crowd winced when the skater fell on the ice

wince noun