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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/30/2021 9:38 AM, Lieven L. Litaer
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:d48a1166-c85e-2dc0-a36d-4d57cd94777f@gmx.de">This
question is more towards the English language, so maybe the
<br>
requester of this word could explain what they were thinking.
<br>
<br>
What exactly does "Wince, Cringe, Flinch" mean? Also the added
<br>
definition on the wish list does not help me: "Reflexively recoil
or
<br>
shrink away".
<br>
<br>
Where would I use this?
</blockquote>
<p><b>Sogh qIpmeH HoD, ghopDaj pepDI' HoD, mur Sogh.<br>
</b><i>When the captain raises his hand to hit the lieutenant, the
lieutenant cringes.</i><br>
That is, the lieutenant backs off slightly and scrunches up a bit,
possibly lifting their hands a little to ward off the blow, an
instinctive reaction to an impending attack.</p>
<p>Generally, cringing is negatively associated with cowardice,
while flinching and wincing are more neutral, though they can
still be negative if you flinch or wince at the wrong thing.
Exception: you can cringe at something extremely embarrassing, and
it's not considered a negative behavior. Flinching has more to do
with instinctively trying to avoid a blow, while wincing is
usually associated with your reaction to pain, whether physical or
psychological.</p>
<p>Those are my associations with the words as a native speaker of
American English.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
SuStel
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://trimboli.name">http://trimboli.name</a></pre>
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