# writer's cramp

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/writers-cramp
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- My hand hurts from writer's cramp.
- After writing the long essay by hand, she had to stop because of severe writer's cramp.
- The novelist struggled to finish the final chapter, his fingers stiff and aching from a persistent case of writer's cramp.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.