flinch

English

Etymology

Compare Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌷𐌰𐌽 (filhan), Icelandic fela (“to hide”)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪntʃ

Noun

flinch (plural flinches)

1. A reflexive jerking away.

   My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.

Translations

reflexive jerking away

• Finnish: säpsähdys (fi)

• Russian: вздрагивание (ru) (vzdrágivanije) n

Verb

flinch (third-person singular simple present flinches, present participle flinching, simple past and past participle flinched)

1. To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus.
2. To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty

Translations

to make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a stimulus

• Finnish: kavahtaa (fi), säpsähtää (fi)
• French: broncher (fr)
• Italian: sussultare (it)

• Russian: вздрагивать (ru) (vzdrágivatʹ) impf., вздрогнуть (ru) (vzdrógnutʹ) pf., содрогаться (ru) (sodrogátʹsja) impf., содрогнуться (ru) (sodrognútʹsja) pf.
• Slovene: trzniti (sl)
• Spanish: estremecerse, reaccionar