twinge

1 of 2

noun

1
: a sudden sharp stab of pain
2
: a moral or emotional pang
a twinge of conscience
a twinge of sympathy

twinge

2 of 2

verb

twinged; twinging ˈtwin-jiŋ How to pronounce twinge (audio) or twingeing

transitive verb

1
dialect : pluck, tweak
2
: to affect with a sharp pain or pang

intransitive verb

: to feel a sudden sharp local pain

Examples of twinge in a Sentence

Noun He felt a twinge of arthritis when he stood up. I still feel an occasional twinge in my leg from the accident. I felt a twinge of guilt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Holmberg — who works in group ticket sales for the San Jose Sharks — admitted to feeling some twinge of sadness about his playing career ending. David K. Li, NBC News, 10 Feb. 2024 What follows is a delightfully breezy action flick that may even carry twinges of genre nostalia. Gwen Ihnat and Kevin Jaconsen, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2023 Like her outfit, her makeup had a twinge of darkness, from her smoky lids to her ultra-long eyelash extensions, which practically reached her temples. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023 The term is a catch-all that covers everything from a small twinge to a full-on rupture. Nicole Wetsman, Popular Science, 24 May 2023 Even as a child in the 1960s, Jan Davis felt a twinge of resentment about her hometown, Huntsville, Ala., being overlooked. Emily Cochrane, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023 Pregnancy is full of new sensations, from unfamiliar aches and pains to those twinges in your stomach when your baby decides to give your belly a kick from within. Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 10 Aug. 2023 Fleeting moments that would play as filler in a lesser film seem to contain entire lifetimes of complex, conflicting emotion: The tears Rachel and her sister share at the birth of the latter’s baby, for example, feel joyous, but also freighted with past sorrow and a twinge of guilt. Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2022 Full of jovial bluster, Fisher’s Ali occasionally breaks his facade to reveal pangs of empathy and twinges of insecurity. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2023
Verb
The twist, however, is the sauce — a rich, steaming hot broth twinged with tomato and a gentle chile buzz that more closely resembles a soup. Dominic Armato, azcentral, 6 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twinge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English twengen, from Old English twengan; akin to Old High German zwengen to pinch

First Known Use

Noun

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twinge was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twinge

Cite this Entry

“Twinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinge. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

twinge

1 of 2 verb
twinged; twinging ˈtwin-jiŋ How to pronounce twinge (audio) or twingeing
: to affect with or feel a sudden sharp pain

twinge

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden sharp stab of pain
2
: moral or emotional distress
a twinge of regret

Medical Definition

twinge

noun
: a sudden sharp stab of pain

More from Merriam-Webster on twinge

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