writhe
/raið/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To twist or squirm, especially from pain or discomfort: "writhe" describes a twisting, contorting, or wriggling movement of the body, often as an involuntary reaction to intense physical or emotional distress.
- To suffer acute mental or emotional discomfort: Figuratively, it can describe experiencing intense embarrassment, shame, or anguish.
Usage
- Writhe is primarily used as an intransitive verb (it does not take a direct object). It describes the subject's own movement.
- It often appears with prepositional phrases like "in pain," "with agony," "on the ground," or "under criticism" to specify the cause or context of the movement.
- The word conveys a sense of struggle and lack of control.
Examples
- Physical Pain/Discomfort:
- The injured soldier writhed on the battlefield.
- She writhed in agony as the pain from the burn intensified.
- Emotional Distress:
- He writhed with embarrassment when his mistake was announced to the whole team.
- The author writhed under the critic's scathing review.
Advanced Usage
- "to writhe one's way": to move by twisting and turning.
- The snake writhed its way through the dense undergrowth.
- "to be writhing in": to be intensely experiencing a negative emotion.
- She was writhing in jealousy after seeing her rival's success.
Variants and Related Words
- Writhing (adj/n): The act or state of twisting. (e.g., )
- Writher (n): One who writhes (rarely used).
Synonyms
- Squirm: to wriggle or twist the body from discomfort or nervousness.
- Wriggle: to twist and turn with quick movements.
- Contort: to twist or bend out of its normal shape (often more extreme).
- Twist: to change shape by bending or turning.
Antonyms
- Lie still: to remain motionless.
- Relax: to become less tense or rigid.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Writhe like a worm: to twist helplessly, often in a demeaning context.
- Under the dictator's gaze, the official writhed like a worm.
- Writhe in/with shame: to be overcome with feelings of shame.
- He was left to writhe in shame after his lie was exposed.
Verb
- to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
- The prisoner writhed in discomfort
- The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace