writhe

verb \ ˈrīt͟h \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of writhe

writhed; writhing

transitive verb

1 a : to twist into coils or folds

b : to twist so as to distort : wrench

c : to twist (the body or a bodily part) in pain

2 : intertwine

intransitive verb

1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns

writhed to the music

2 : to twist from or as if from pain or struggling

3 : to suffer keenly

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writhe

noun

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Examples of writhe in a Sentence

She lay on the floor, writhing in pain.
a nest of writhing snakes

Recent Examples of writhe from the Web

Well, maybe that story isn’t so simple, especially when Liina writhes naked in the moonlight and sends her wolf familiar to spy on Hans, who is spying on the sleeping Baron’s daughter.

— peter keough, BostonGlobe.com, "Bizarre farce turns tragic in Estonian black comedy ‘November’," 11 Apr. 2018
In the first five minutes of the game, Snell stepped on Henson's foot and went down to the court, writhing in pain having rolled his right ankle.

— matt velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks 115, Knicks 102: It's the Eric Bledsoe show in the Big Apple," 7 Apr. 2018
The Smoothie King Center fell silent on Tuesday (March 27) as Anthony Davis rolled around on the floor writhing in pain.

— william guillory, NOLA.com, "Anthony Davis expected to play Friday vs. Cleveland; Rajon Rondo is questionable," 29 Mar. 2018
Body camera video shows Cleveland police officers providing basic emergency medical care while the man writhes in pain on the ground.

— adam ferrise, cleveland.com, "Cleveland EMS dispatcher, supervisor suspended one day for refusing to send ambulance for man shot 16 times," 27 Feb. 2018
Seemingly hauled up en masse, the forms are wired together and slapped onto a rectilinear steel support, like writhing refugees from a maritime disaster.

— julia couzens, sacbee, "A witty and deep showcase of Jewish artists' contributions to California art history | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Apr. 2018
Jackson writhed in pain and was unable to get up on his own power.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons hope PG Reggie Jackson (ankle) can return this week," 18 Mar. 2018
Jackson writhed in pain and was unable to get up on his own power.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons hope PG Reggie Jackson (ankle) can return this week," 18 Mar. 2018
Users writhing on the ground, wide-eyed and struggling to breathe.

— robert scheer, Indianapolis Star, "'Think what it’s doing to your brain': Using bug spray to get high," 18 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Writhe wound its way to English from the Old English verb wrīthan ("to twist") and is akin to the Old English verb wrigian ("to turn or go"). Wrigian gave us our words wriggle, awry, and wry. When something wriggles it twists from side to side with quick movements, like an earthworm. When something goes awry, its twists or winds off course, or toward catastrophe. Wry can mean "bent or twisted" but now usually implies clever, ironic humor. Nowadays, writhe often suggests the physical contortions one makes when enduring crippling pain or when trying to extract oneself from a tight grasp (as an animal from a predator's claws). Alternatively, it can imply an emotionally wrenching feeling (as of grief or fear) from which one seeks relief.