pinch
/pɪntʃ/
noun
- An act of squeezing something between the thumb and a finger.
- She felt a sharp pinch as the crab grabbed her finger.
- He gave her a playful pinch on the cheek.
- A pinch of salt is all you need.
- A small amount of something, especially a powdered substance like salt or spice, that can be held between the thumb and finger.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon to the recipe.
- Just a pinch of pepper will do.
- He took a pinch of snuff and inhaled deeply.
- A difficult or stressful situation, especially one involving a lack of money or resources.
- We're in a pinch and need help finishing the project.
- He was in a financial pinch after losing his job.
- The company felt the pinch when sales dropped.
verb
- To squeeze something, especially someone's skin, tightly between the thumb and a finger, often causing pain.
- Be careful not to pinch your finger in the door.
- He pinched off a piece of dough and rolled it into a ball.
- She pinched his arm to wake him up.
- To press or squeeze something tightly, causing it to become narrow or constricted.
- The new shoes pinch my toes.
- The pipe was pinched shut to stop the leak.
- She pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve the headache.
- To steal something, especially something small or of little value.
- He was caught pinching candy from the store.
- Who pinched my pen from my desk?
- Someone pinched my wallet on the crowded bus.
- To be extremely frugal or stingy with money; to economize severely.
- She pinched every dollar she could to buy a house.
- During the war, families learned to pinch and save.
- We had to pinch pennies to afford the vacation.
Antonyms