Twinging

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Experiencing sudden, brief, sharp sensations of pain or discomfort in a specific part of the body; feeling a quick, localized muscle spasm or cramp; undergoing a momentary emotional pang or twinge of feeling
2. Suffering from a rapid, intermittent pricking or stabbing sensation often related to nerve or muscle irritation; perceiving a short, sharp physical jerk or twitch; encountering a fleeting sharp emotional reaction such as guilt or regret
3. Having a sharp, sudden jolt of pain localized to a particular spot; sensing a quick muscular twitch or spasm; enduring a brief acute feeling of emotional distress or remorse

Etymology: The sense of "twinge" that now means a stabbing pain once meant something much more violent: Middle English "twengen" meant to nip, pinch, tweak, or even tear at something. Its Old English ancestor "twenġan" meant simply to pinch or squeeze, so the word began as a description of pressure applied by fingers or teeth, with pain as the implied result. Over the centuries the force of the verb weakened while its focus narrowed. The pinch became a brief, sharp jab, and then a jolt of feeling, so that a twinge could be a twitch in a muscle or a sudden pang of guilt or regret. "Twinging" is simply the present participle form of this verb, describing the ongoing action of such sensations. The verb's deeper origins remain uncertain. It is generally traced to a Proto-Germanic causative meaning "to pinch, squeeze," and some scholars have linked it to a family of words meaning "to press" or "constrain," including German "zwingen," but the Oxford English Dictionary finds no evidence that these are related.

Synonyms: stinging, aching, pricking, throbbing, shooting

Antonyms: soothing, relieving, easing