flinch
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
flinch¹
- /ˈflɪnt͡ʃ/
- [ˈfl̥ɪnt͡ʃ]
Sounds like flench (pin–pen merger) · Rhymes with -ɪntʃ
Where it comes from
From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), from Old French flenchir, flanchir, from Frankish *hlankijan, from Proto-Germanic *hlankijaną (“to bend, twist, flex”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleng- (“to bend, turn, wind”). Cognate with Old High German hlenken, whence Middle High German lenken (“to bend”), Modern German lenken (“to cause to veer or turn aside, steer”). Attested in English since the 16th century.
noun flinches
- A reflexive jerking away. My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.
- The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
verb flinches · flinching · flinched
- To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe; to blench. A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or complaining.
- To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
- To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
flinch²
- /ˈflɪnt͡ʃ/
- [ˈfl̥ɪnt͡ʃ]
Sounds like flench (pin–pen merger) · Rhymes with -ɪntʃ
verb flinches · flinching · flinched
- Alternative form of flense
Translations
Every language
noun reflexive jerking away
| Deutsch | Zucken, Zurückzucken, Zurückschrecken, Zusammenfahren |
|---|---|
| Русский | вздра́гивание vzdrágivanije, отдёргивание otdjórgivanije |
| العربية | جَفَل jafal |
verb to make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a stimulus
| Español | estremecerse, reaccionar, inmutarse, encogerse, achicarse, enarcarse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 怯む hirumu |
| Português | estremecer |
| Français | broncher, sursauter |
| Deutsch | zucken, zurückzucken, zurückschrecken, zurückweichen, zusammenzucken, wanken |
| Italiano | sussultare |
| Ελληνικά | αναπηδώ anapidó |
| Русский | вздра́гивать vzdrágivatʹ, вздро́гнуть vzdrógnutʹ, содрога́ться sodrogátʹsja, содрогну́ться sodrognútʹsja, отдёргиваться otdjórgivatʹsja, отдёрнуться otdjórnutʹsja |
verb to avoid doing something momentarily
| Español | rehuir de |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | sich entziehen |
| Русский | увильнуть uvilʹnutʹ |
Talk about this word "flinch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/flinch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. flinch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/flinch "flinch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/flinch.Cite this
@misc{flinch_2026,
title = {flinch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/flinch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
