English Reference
Idiom idiom

writer's cramp


A debilitating pain preventing easy movement of the wrist, hand, or fingers, resulting from prolonged use of a pen or pencil.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

My hand hurts from writer's cramp.

CONTEXTUAL

After writing the long essay by hand, she had to stop because of severe writer's cramp.

COMPLEX

The novelist struggled to finish the final chapter, his fingers stiff and aching from a persistent case of writer's cramp.


Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    cramp someone's style

    To restrict someone's free action or expression.

  2. 02

    wanker's cramp

    An ache in the wrist caused by repetitive movements.

Last updated August 10, 2026