wrench
/rentʃ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A hand tool for gripping and turning: A tool, typically with adjustable jaws, used to hold, tighten, or loosen nuts, bolts, or pipes.
- A sudden, violent twist or pull: A sharp, jerking movement that applies force.
- An injury caused by twisting: A painful sprain or strain to a muscle, ligament, or joint.
- A feeling of painful separation: Emotional pain or distress caused by a sudden parting or loss.
Verb:
- To twist or pull violently: To use a sudden, forceful twisting motion.
- To injure by twisting: To sprain or strain a part of the body by turning it sharply.
- To distort or pervert: To twist the meaning of something, making it inaccurate.
- To extract with effort: To pull something away with a forceful, often painful, motion.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- He used a wrench to tighten the bolt on the bicycle. (Tool)
- With a sharp wrench, he freed the stuck drawer. (Sudden pull)
- She suffered a painful wrench to her shoulder during the fall. (Injury)
- Leaving home was a great wrench for the young student. (Emotional pain)
Verb:
- He had to wrench the lid off the rusty jar. (Twist/pull violently)
- Be careful not to wrench your back when lifting that box. (Injure by twisting)
- The journalist was accused of wrenching the facts to fit his narrative. (Distort meaning)
- A cry was wrenched from her lips by the sudden pain. (Extract with effort)
Advanced Usage
- "to throw a wrench in/into the works": To cause a problem that stops or delays a process.
- The bad weather threw a wrench into our plans for a picnic.
- "a wrenching experience/decision": An experience or decision that is emotionally very difficult and painful.
- Selling the family home was a wrenching experience.
Variants and Related Words
- Wrenching (adj): Causing great emotional or physical pain.
- It was a wrenching goodbye.
- Monkey wrench (n): A type of adjustable wrench with smooth jaws.
- Socket wrench (n): A wrench with a hollow, socket-like end that fits over a nut or bolt head.
Synonyms
- Noun (Tool): Spanner (UK English), adjustable spanner.
- Noun/Verb (Pull/Twist): Jerk, tug, yank, twist.
- Verb (Injure): Sprain, strain, twist.
- Verb (Distort): Distort, pervert, misrepresent.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Wrench" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The actions are typically expressed as "wrench [object]" or "wrench [object] [prepositional phrase].") - Wrench away/off/out: To remove something with a violent twisting or pulling motion. - He wrenched the steering wheel away from the driver. - They had to wrench the old sign off the wall.
Related Idioms
- Wrench one's heart: To cause someone to feel great sadness or pity.
- The sight of the abandoned puppies wrenched her heart.
Noun
- a hand tool that is used to hold or twist a nut or bolt
- a jerky pulling movement
- a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments
- the wrench to his knee occurred as he fell
- he was sidelined with a hamstring pull
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
- twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
- Wring one's hand
- make a sudden twisting motion
- twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
- wrench a window off its hinges
- wrench oneself free from somebody's grip
- a deep sigh was wrenched from his chest