Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense twitches, present participle twitching, past tense, past participle twitched
verb
If something, especially a part of your body, twitches or if you twitch it, it makes a little jumping movement.
When I stood up to her, her right cheek would begin to twitch. [VERB]
His left eyelid twitched involuntarily. [VERB]
As they turned to leave, they saw the curtains twitch in the house next door. [VERB]
Stern twitched his shoulders. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: jerk, blink, flutter, jump More Synonyms of twitch
Twitch is also a noun.
He developed a nervous twitch and began to blink constantly.
More Synonyms of twitch
twitch in British English
(twɪtʃ)
verb
1.
to move or cause to move in a jerky spasmodic way
2. (transitive)
to pull or draw (something) with a quick jerky movement
3. (intransitive)
to hurt with a sharp spasmodic pain
4. (transitive) rare
to nip
noun
5.
a sharp jerking movement
6.
a mental or physical twinge
7.
a sudden muscular spasm
8.
a loop of cord used to control a horse by drawing it tight about its upper lip
Derived forms
twitching (ˈtwitching)
adjective, noun
Word origin
Old English twiccian to pluck; related to Old High German zwecchōn to pinch, Dutch twicken
twitch in American English
(twɪtʃ)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1.
to pull (at) with a quick, slight jerk; pluck
2.
to move with a quick, slight jerk or jerks or spasmodically
3.
to ache with a sudden, sharp pain
noun
4.
a quick, slight jerk
5.
a sudden, quick motion, esp. a spasmodic one; tic
a facial twitch
6.
a sudden, sharp pain; twinge
Word origin
ME twicchen < OE *twiccan, var. of twiccian, to pluck, catch hold of: akin to Ger zwicken < WGmc *twikkjon < ? base of twig1
Examples of 'twitch' in a sentence
twitch
She gets close but the intensity gets too much and her legs begin to twitch.
The Sun (2009)
He can twitch his cheek when he wants to.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But a tendency to choke is no more a character failing than a nervous twitch or a persistent stammer.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
His left leg was constantly twitching.
Oliver Poole BLACK KNIGHTS: On the Bloody Road to Baghdad (2003)
Symptoms range from acute headaches to skin burning, muscle twitching and chronic pain.
The Sun (2013)
When muscles move and twitch, they give off electrical signals that can be read by electrodes.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Certainly one's eyes and retina twitch constantly.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It's like getting rid of a nervous twitch.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I cheat by twitching my right leg.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Why does my eyelid twitch?
The Sun (2009)
My legs are twitching involuntarily and I can barely push myself up to standing position.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
With a twitch of my finger I could cut her off.
Christianity Today (2000)
I love the guaranteed rush on days when you're so exhausted your eyelids are twitching.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The chamber was rapt, eyes agog, lips twitching upward.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They are watching each other right now, trigger fingers twitching, waiting to see who moves first.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Word lists with
twitch
Tack and equipment and their parts
In other languages
twitch
British English: twitch VERB
If something, especially a part of your body, twitches or if you twitch it, it makes a little jumping movement.
A nerve was twitching the muscles of his jaw.
American English: twitch
Brazilian Portuguese: contrair-se
Chinese: 抽动身体等
European Spanish: moverse nerviosamente
French: faire se contracterN
German: zucken
Italian: contrarsi
Japanese: ぴくぴく動かす/ぴくぴくする
Korean: 실룩거리다
European Portuguese: contrair-se
Latin American Spanish: moverse nerviosamente
All related terms of 'twitch'
twitch grass
a grass , Agropyron repens, with a yellowish-white creeping underground stem by which it spreads quickly: a troublesome weed
couch grass
a grass , Agropyron repens, with a yellowish-white creeping underground stem by which it spreads quickly: a troublesome weed
quitch grass
a grass , Agropyron repens, with a yellowish-white creeping underground stem by which it spreads quickly: a troublesome weed
scutch grass
a widely distributed grass, Cynodon dactylon , with wiry creeping rootstocks and several purplish spikes of flowers arising from a single point: used for lawns , pasturage , binding sand dunes , etc
wheatgrass
a grass, Agropyron repens, with a yellowish-white creeping underground stem by which it spreads quickly: a troublesome weed
Chinese translation of 'twitch'
twitch
(twɪtʃ)
n(c)
抽动(動) (chōudòng)
vi
[muscle, body]颤(顫)动(動) (chàndòng)
1 (verb)
Definition
(of a person or part of a person's body) to move in a jerky spasmodic way
His left eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Synonyms
jerk
blink
She was blinking her eyes rapidly.
flutter
jump
The phone shrilled, making her jump.
squirm
2 (verb)
Definition
to pull (something) with a quick jerky movement
He twitched his curtains to check on callers.
Synonyms
pull (at)
snatch (at)
tug (at)
pluck (at)
yank (at)
(noun)
Definition
a sharp jerking movement, esp. one caused by a nervous condition
He developed a nervous twitch.
Synonyms
jerk
She gave the dog's lead a jerk.
tic
She developed a tic in her left eye.
spasm
A lack of magnesium causes muscles to go into spasm.
twinge
the occasional twinge of indigestion
jump
When Spider tapped on a window, Miguel gave an involuntary jump.
blink
flutter
She felt a flutter of trepidation in her stomach.
tremor
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blink
Definition
to close and immediately reopen (the eyes), usually involuntarily
She was blinking her eyes rapidly.
Synonyms
flutter,
wink,
bat
in the sense of flutter
Definition
a quick flapping or vibrating motion
She felt a flutter of trepidation in her stomach.
Synonyms
tremor,
tremble,
shiver,
shudder,
palpitation
in the sense of jump
Definition
to jerk with astonishment or shock
The phone shrilled, making her jump.
Synonyms
recoil,
start,
jolt,
flinch,
shake,
jerk,
quake,
shudder,
twitch,
wince
Nearby words of
twitch
twisted
twister
twit
twitch
twitter
two
two or ten a penny
Synonyms of 'twitch'
twitch
Explore 'twitch' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of jump
When Spider tapped on a window, Miguel gave an involuntary jump.
Synonyms
jolt,
start,
movement,
shock,
shake,
jar,
jerk,
lurch,
twitch,
swerve,
spasm
in the sense of spasm
Definition
a sudden tightening of the muscles, over which one has no control
A lack of magnesium causes muscles to go into spasm.