Flinch

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /flɪnt͡ʃ/

Definitions

1. A quick reflexive movement away from something painful or frightening ; to show hesitation or shrink from doing something due to fear or discomfort
2. An instinctive recoil caused by a shock or anxiety ; to pull back or shrink from facing an unpleasant or difficult action
3. A sudden twitch or jump made to avoid harm or fear ; to physically or mentally back away from a challenge or threatening situation

Etymology: The verb "flinch" began as a movement of the body in the strict sense of bending. Its ancestor, Old French "flenchir" or "flanchir", meant "to bend," and it traces back through a Frankish word to a Germanic root meaning to bend, twist or flex. The same root gave German "lenken," which today means to steer or guide, so a word about turning aside from a blow and a word about steering a car are distant cousins. The English verb came from Middle French "flenchir" and was first attested in the 16th century. The sense of dodging or shrinking back from pain or danger developed as the physical image of bending away was applied to people. The modern figurative sense, backing away from a challenge, grew naturally from that recoil.

Synonyms: wince, shrink, cringe

Antonyms: confront, face