Wrying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A movement characterized by twisting or contorting, typically expressing discomfort or emotional distress
2. The act of altering one's facial expression in response to intense feelings, often resulting in an anguished appearance
3. A motion involving a twisting or bending of the body or face often indicating pain or strong emotion

Etymology: The verb "wrying" is simply the present participle of "wry," so its story is really the story of "wry," which has two Old English ancestors that happen to have collided. One, from "wrīġian," meant to twist, bend, strive or press forward, and it is related to "wriggle" and to "awry," which still means crooked or off course. The other, from "wrēon," meant to cover, wrap or envelop, and it is a different word that merged with the first in Middle English, so "wry" carries both senses of twisting and of covering in its background. Both ancestors trace back to a shared Proto-Indo-European root meaning to turn, wrap or tie, which is why the notion of twisting runs through the family even though the two branches diverged. The modern sense of a twisted face, as in a wry grimace, grew out of the older idea of something bent or turned out of its proper shape.

Synonyms: twisting, contorting, warping

Antonyms: straightening