What does "wink" mean?

1. (to signal with one eye) to quickly close and open one eye as a secret signal to someone. 2. (to flicker) to shine with a light that goes on and off quickly. 3. (to ignore something) to pretend not to see something bad that is happening. 4. (a signal with one eye) the act of closing and opening one eye quickly. 5. (a short sleep) a very short period of sleep.

How do you use "wink"?

Often used with 'at' to indicate the recipient of the signal. Almost always used in the phrase 'wink at'. Commonly used in the negative 'not a wink' to mean no sleep at all.

wink

v. · n.

US //ˈwɪŋk// UK //wˈɪŋk// wink

1 to signal with one eye (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to quickly close and open one eye as a secret signal to someone.

to close and open one eyelid rapidly as a signal of shared knowledge, affection, or suggestion.

Example

He winked at me from across the room to show he was joking.

Example

The witness winked at his lawyer during the cross-examination, suggesting that the previous statement had been a deliberate exaggeration.

Usage

Often used with 'at' to indicate the recipient of the signal.
- blink
- signal
2 to flicker (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

to shine with a light that goes on and off quickly.

to shine or gleam intermittently; to flicker or twinkle.

Example

The distant lights of the city winked in the dark night.

Example

The lighthouse beam winked rhythmically on the horizon, providing a steady guide for the ships navigating the treacherous coastal waters.

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3 to ignore something (v.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Literary

to pretend not to see something bad that is happening.

to deliberately overlook or ignore an occurrence, typically something illicit or improper.

Example

The guards were paid to wink at the smuggling happening at the docks.

Example

Historians argue that the local authorities chose to wink at the illegal trade because it provided the only source of income for the starving village.

Usage

Almost always used in the phrase 'wink at'.
- notice
- scrutinize
4 a signal with one eye (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the act of closing and opening one eye quickly.

an instance of winking used as a gesture or signal.

Example

She gave me a quick wink to let me know she was just kidding.

Example

A subtle wink from the auctioneer confirmed that the secret bid had been accepted without alerting the other participants.
- gesture
- blink
5 a short sleep (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

a very short period of sleep.

a brief moment of sleep; most commonly found in the idiom 'forty winks'.

Example

I didn't get a wink of sleep because the neighbors were so loud.

Example

After a long flight, he managed to catch forty winks in the taxi before his first meeting of the day.

Usage

Commonly used in the negative 'not a wink' to mean no sleep at all.
- nap
- snooze

Etymology 1

From Middle English wynken, from Old English wincian (“to wink, make a sign, close the eyes, blink”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic winkōn (“to close one's eyes”), from Proto-Indo-European weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”). Cognate with Middle Low German winken (“to blink, wink”), German winken (“to nod, beckon, make a sign”). Related also to Saterland Frisian wäänke, Dutch wenken (“to beckon, motion”), Latin vacillare (“sway”), Lithuanian véngti (“to swerve, avoid”), Albanian vang (“tire, felloe”), Sanskrit वङ्गति (vaṅgati, “(he, she) limps”), French guigner (“to eye, sneak a look at”).

Etymology 2

Clipping of tiddlywink.

Etymology 3

Clipping of periwinkle.

Idioms5 entries