flinch

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flɪntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɪntʃ

Etymology 1

From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), of Germanic origin. Compare Middle High German lenken (“to bend”). Attested in English since the 16th century.

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.

2. (croquet) The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

reflexive jerking away

• Dutch: terugdeinzen (nl)
• Finnish: säpsähdys (fi)
• German: Zucken (de) n, Zurückzucken n, Zurückschrecken n, Zusammenfahren n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: вздра́гивание (ru) n (vzdrágivanije)
• Slovak: cuknutie n, myknutie n, trhnutie n, šklbnutie n

See also

• (reflexive jerking away): cringe

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe.
   • 1693 John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:

     A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or complaining.

2. To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
3. (croquet) To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

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

• Dutch: terugdeinzen (nl)
• Esperanto: eksalti
• Finnish: kavahtaa (fi), säpsähtää
• French: broncher (fr), sursauter (fr)
• German: zucken (de), zurückzucken (de), zurückschrecken, zurückweichen (de), zusammenzucken (de), wanken (de), zusammenfahren
• Greek: αναπηδώ (el) (anapidó)

  Ancient: ἀναπηδῶ (anapēdô)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: sussultare (it)
• Maori: wīwī, toemi, kōrapa, koemi, maopo
• Russian: вздра́гивать (ru) impf (vzdrágivatʹ), вздро́гнуть (ru) pf (vzdrógnutʹ), содрога́ться (ru) impf (sodrogátʹsja), содрогну́ться (ru) pf (sodrognútʹsja)
• Serbo-Croatian: cimnuti (sh) pf (reflexive), lecnuti (sh) pf (reflexive), trznuti (sh) pf (reflexive)
• Slovak: cuknúť sa, myknúť sa, trhnúť sa
• Slovene: trzniti (sl)
• Spanish: estremecerse (es), reaccionar (es)

to avoid doing something momentarily

• German: sich entziehen (de)
• Maori: kōrapa
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: увильнуть (ru) pf (uvilʹnutʹ)
• Slovak: vyhnúť sa

References

• “flinch”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “flinch”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Etymology 2

Verb

1. Alternative form of flense

References

• “flinch”, in Collins English Dictionary.