verb

writhe

to writhe, to squirm, to twist

He writhed in pain on the floor.

He writhed in pain on the floor.

She writhed with embarrassment.

She writhed with embarrassment.

to writhe to twist the body The snake began to writhe.

((in/with sth.)) to writhe in/with (sth.) He writhed in agony.

Synonyms: squirm, wriggle, twist, contort

From Old English 'wrīthan', meaning 'to twist, wind'. It is related to 'wreath'.

Imagine a snake 'writhing' on the ground. The 'wr' sound, as in 'wrong' or 'wring', suggests a twisting motion.

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