flinch
/ˈflɪnt͡ʃ/noun, verb
flinch is spelled F-L-I-N-C-H: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, flinch means “A reflexive jerking away” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of flinch is flinches.
How many letters and syllables are in flinch?
| Letters | 6: F-L-I-N-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,974th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is flinch?
Flinch appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce flinch?
- /ˈflɪnt͡ʃ/
- [ˈfl̥ɪnt͡ʃ]
Flinch has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-flinch.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of flinch
- flinches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- flinching participle, present
- flinched participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does flinch mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A reflexive jerking away.
My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.
- 2
The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
verb
- 1
To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe; to blench.
- 2
To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
- 3
To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
- 4
Alternative form of flense.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Flinch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Zucken, Zurückzucken, Zurückschrecken, Zusammenfahren , zucken, zurückzucken |
| French | broncher, sursauter |
| Portuguese | estremecer |
| Spanish | estremecerse, reaccionar, inmutarse, encogerse, achicarse, enarcarse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does flinch come from?
From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), from Old French flenchir, flanchir, from Frankish *hlankijan, from Proto-Germanic *hlankijaną (“to bend, twist, flex”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleng- (“to bend, turn, wind”). Cognate with Old High German hlenken, whence Middle High German lenken (“to bend”), Modern German lenken (“to cause to veer or turn aside, steer”). Attested in English since the 16th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).