writhe
1Writhe — Writhe, v. i. To twist or contort the body; to be distorted; as, to writhe with agony. Also used figuratively. [1913 Webster] After every attempt, he felt that he had failed, and writhed with shame and vexation. Macaulay. [1913 Webster] …
2writhe — writhe, agonize, squirm are comparable when they mean to twist or turn in physical or mental distress. Writhe regularly carries vivid suggestions of convulsive contortions (as of one in the throes of death, in a paroxysm, in an instrument of… …
3Writhe — Writhe, v. t. [imp. {Writhed}; p. p. {Writhed}, Obs. or Poetic {Writhen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Writhing}.] [OE. writhen, AS. wr[=i]?an to twist; akin to OHG. r[=i]dan, Icel. r[=i]?a, Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. {Wreathe}, {Wrest}, {Wroth}.] [1913… …
4writhe — [raıð] v [: Old English; Origin: writhan [i] to twist ] to twist your body from side to side violently, especially because you are suffering pain writhe in pain/agony etc ▪ He lay writhing in pain …
5writhe — [ raıð ] verb intransitive to move by twisting and turning, especially when you feel a lot of pain: writhe in pain/agony: He writhed in agony on the ground …
6writhe — index beat (pulsate), contort Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …
7writhe — (v.) O.E. wriðan to twist or bend, earlier to bind or fetter, from P.Gmc. *writhanan (Cf. N.Fris. wrial, O.H.G. ridan, O.N. riða, M.Swed. vriþa, M.Da. vride), from PIE *wreit to turn, bend (see WREATH (Cf. wreath)). Related …
8writhe — [v] contort; toss back and forth agonize, bend, distort, jerk, recoil, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wince, worm, wriggle; concepts 80,150 Ant. be still …
9writhe — ► VERB ▪ twist or squirm in pain or as if in pain. ORIGIN Old English, «make into coils, plait» …
10writhe — [rīth] vt. writhed, writhing [ME writhen < OE writhan, to twist, wind about, akin to ON rītha < IE base * wer , to bend, twist > WREATH, WRY] to cause to twist or turn; contort vi. 1. to make twisting or turning movements; contort the… …
