English vocabulary · B2
Writhe
/raɪð/ · v.
Writhe means to move your body again and again because you hurt. You cannot stay still.
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Example sentences
- The hurt player began to writhe on the grass.
- The worm started to writhe in the wet soil.
Word origin and roots
from Old English
- writh — twist (from Old English)
Synonyms and nuances
- TWIST — turn your body (Turn Around)
- SQUIRM — move in a seat (Small Fast Moves)
- CONTORT — bend in a hard way (Bend In Pain)
Words with the same root
writh — twist
- wreathe — twist into a ring
Lesson notes
Writhe means to move your body again and again because you hurt. You cannot stay still.
Related: twist, squirm, contort. Use writhe when pain makes your body move again and again.
The hurt player began to writhe on the grass. The worm started to writhe in the wet soil.
From Old English. Writh- means twist. A body that twists in pain can writhe.