Pinched

How to spell pinched

7 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce pinched

What does pinched mean?

1. verbSqueezed or nipped something tightly between fingers or two surfaces.
2. adjectiveLooking tense, tight, or drawn, often from cold, tiredness, or worry.
3. verbStole something, usually a small or trivial item; informal British usage.

Pinched in a sentence

• verb

  He pinched the fabric to judge how thick it was.

• adjective

  Her pinched expression showed just how exhausted she was.

• verb

  Someone pinched my lunch from the office fridge again.

• verb

  The new shoes pinched her toes after an hour of walking.

• adjective

  His pinched face suggested he had barely slept all week.

• verb

  He admitted he had pinched a biscuit from the tin.

Where does pinched come from?

Language of origin: French

The base verb 'pinch' came into English in the 1200s from Old North French 'pinchier' (also spelled 'pincier'), meaning to squeeze, nip, or press between two surfaces, and it is closely related to modern French 'pincer'. The deeper origin is somewhat uncertain and is often thought to be imitative, echoing the sharp, sudden action of nipping the skin. Over time the word grew a cluster of extra senses: a 'pinch' of salt for a tiny amount, being 'pinched' for money when funds run short, and, in informal British use, to 'pinch' something meaning to steal it. The 'pinched' look of a tired or cold face, drawn tight and narrowed, follows naturally from the idea of flesh being squeezed. The spelling keeps the '-tch' cluster of the root before adding the regular '-ed', so the only thing to remember is that the silent flourish is the 'tch' rather than any change to the ending.

How the word is built

• pinch (to squeeze or nip)
• -ed (past tense / past participle suffix)