sprain
/sprein/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A painful injury to a joint, especially caused by a sudden, forceful twist that overstretches or tears the ligaments connecting the bones.
Verb:
- To injure (a joint or its ligaments) by a sudden, violent twisting or wrenching motion.
Usage and Examples
Noun:
- She suffered a bad sprain in her ankle while playing tennis.
- The doctor said it was a minor sprain, not a fracture.
Verb:
- Be careful not to sprain your wrist when you lift that heavy box.
- He sprained his knee during the football match.
Advanced Usage and Notes
- "to sprain one's ankle/wrist/knee": This is the most common construction, specifying the injured joint.
- It's easy to sprain your ankle on uneven ground.
- The injury is typically to ligaments (the fibrous tissues connecting bones), distinguishing it from a strain, which is an injury to a muscle or tendon.
Variants and Related Words
- Sprained (adj): Describing a joint that has suffered this injury.
- He has a sprained ankle and must wear a brace.
Synonyms
- Wrench (verb): To twist or pull suddenly and violently, often causing injury.
- Twist (verb): To force out of the natural position by a turning motion; can result in a sprain.
Antonyms
- Heal (verb): To become sound or healthy again.
- Strengthen (verb): To make stronger, often to prevent injury.
Common Collocations and Phrases
- Bad/sever sprain: A significant or serious sprain.
- The X-ray showed it was just a bad sprain.
- Minor/slight sprain: A less serious sprain.
- After the fall, he had only a slight sprain.
- To treat a sprain: The common first aid is often summarized as R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
Noun
- a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments
Verb
- twist suddenly so as to sprain
- wrench one's ankle
- The wrestler twisted his shoulder
- the hikers sprained their ankles when they fell
- I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days