WRITHING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does writhing mean? 

• WRITHING (adjective)
  The adjective WRITHING has 1 sense:

1. moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion

  Familiarity information: WRITHING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WRITHING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion

Synonyms:

wiggly; wriggling; wriggly; writhing

Context example:

wiggly worms

Similar:

moving (in motion)

 Context examples 

And then the writhing and quivering of the body became less, and the teeth seemed to champ, and the face to quiver. Finally it lay still. The terrible task was over.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Immortally safe, sir,” returned Uriah, writhing in the direction of the voice.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

An extraordinary change had come over his face. It was writhing with inward merriment. His two eyes were shining like stars.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was in the same position in which I had left him, and his head was rocking—almost writhing—from side to side.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I have felt like one of those poor rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It had seemed to her like a giant writhing and straining at the bonds that held him down.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He came out of the tangle a spectacle of malignancy, ears flattened back, lips writhing, nose wrinkling, his teeth clipping together as the fangs barely missed the hound's soft throat.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Slowly they gave back down the hill, the archers still hanging upon their skirts, with a long litter of writhing and twisted figures to mark the course which they had taken.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His whole body was gathered compactly together in the tremendous effort, the muscles writhing and knotting like live things under the silky fur.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The next he was gripped at the back of his neck by a grasp of iron, and a chloroformed sponge was held in front of his writhing face.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)