Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

writhe

04.24.2019 - By Merriam-WebsterPlay

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2019 is: writhe \RYTHE\ verb

1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns

2 : to twist from or as if from pain or struggling

3 : to suffer keenly

Examples:

Kelly watched the earthworm writhe across the driveway and toward the garden.

"When the coast is clear, start peeling off your wetsuit. This is easier said than done because sweat-soaked [neoprene](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neoprene) clings to your flesh like a second skin. So, as you writhe and squirm to free yourself, think of a beautiful butterfly emerging from its chrysalis." — Irv Oslin, The Ashland (Ohio) Times-Gazette, 21 Feb. 2019

Did you know?

Writhe wound its way into English from the Old English verb wrīthan ("to twist") and is akin to the Old English verb wrigian ("to turn or go"). Wrigian gave us our words [wriggle](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wriggle), [awry](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awry), and [wry](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wry#h2). When something wriggles, it twists from side to side with quick movements, like an earthworm. When something goes awry, it twists or winds off course, often toward catastrophe. Wry can mean "bent or twisted" but usually implies clever, ironic humor. These days, writhe often suggests the physical contortions one makes when enduring crippling pain or when trying to extract oneself from a tight grasp (as an animal from a predator's claws). Alternatively, it can imply an emotionally [wrenching](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrench) feeling (as of grief or fear) from which one seeks relief.

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