flinch

flinch

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flɪntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɪntʃ

Etymology 1

From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), of Germanic origin. Compare Middle High German lenken (“to bend”). Attested in English since the 16th century.

Noun

flinch (plural flinches)

1. A reflexive jerking away.

   My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.

2. (croquet) The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

reflexive jerking away

Dutch: terugdeinzen (nl) Finnish: säpsähdys (fi) German: Zucken (de) n, Zurückzucken n, Zurückschrecken n, Zusammenfahren n

Russian: вздра́гивание (ru) n (vzdrágivanije) Slovak: cuknutie n, myknutie n, trhnutie n, šklbnutie n

See also

• (reflexive jerking away): cringe

Verb

flinch (third-person singular simple present flinches, present participle flinching, simple past and past participle flinched)

1. (intransitive) To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe.
   • 1693 John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:

     A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or complaining.

2. To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
3. (croquet) To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

to make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a stimulus

Dutch: terugdeinzen (nl) Esperanto: eksalti Finnish: kavahtaa (fi), säpsähtää French: broncher (fr), sursauter (fr) German: zucken (de), zurückzucken (de), zurückschrecken, zurückweichen, zusammenzucken (de), wanken (de), zusammenfahren Greek: αναπηδώ (el) (anapidó) Ancient: ἀναπηδῶ (anapēdô)

Italian: sussultare (it) Maori: wīwī, toemi, kōrapa, koemi, maopo Russian: вздра́гивать (ru) impf (vzdrágivatʹ), вздро́гнуть (ru) pf (vzdrógnutʹ), содрога́ться (ru) impf (sodrogátʹsja), содрогну́ться (ru) pf (sodrognútʹsja) Serbo-Croatian: cimnuti (sh) pf (reflexive), lecnuti (sh) pf (reflexive), trznuti (sh) pf (reflexive) Slovak: cuknúť sa, myknúť sa, trhnúť sa Slovene: trzniti (sl) Spanish: estremecerse (es), reaccionar (es)

to avoid doing something momentarily

German: sich entziehen (de) Maori: kōrapa

Russian: увильнуть (ru) pf (uvilʹnutʹ) Slovak: vyhnúť sa

References

• “flinch” in the Collins English Dictionary
• “flinch” in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.

Verb

flinch (third-person singular simple present flinches, present participle flinching, simple past and past participle flinched)

1. Alternative form of flense

References

• “flinch” in the Collins English Dictionary