Word
writhing
US/ˈɹaɪðɪŋ/
UK/ɹˈaɪðɪŋ/
Definition
v. moving your body in a twisting, painful way. You use this when someone is hurting or when something is moving in a wild, snake-like motion.
v. moving the body in a twisting, convulsive, or serpentine manner. Often describes physical distress or the undulating motion of certain animals.
Examples
“The injured animal was writhing in pain on the grass.”
“The crowd watched in horror as the victim was writhing on the ground after being stung by a scorpion.”
“The dancer's writhing movements were intended to evoke the primal, uncontrollable forces of nature, leaving the audience both mesmerized and slightly unsettled.”
Examples
simple
“The injured animal was writhing in pain on the grass.”
contextual
“The crowd watched in horror as the victim was writhing on the ground after being stung by a scorpion.”
complex
“The dancer's writhing movements were intended to evoke the primal, uncontrollable forces of nature, leaving the audience both mesmerized and slightly unsettled.”
Etymology
From Middle English writhyng; equivalent to writhe + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/writhing