kavahtaa — meaning in English
Finnish → English · translate English → Finnish instead
English meaning
- cringe verb To flinch or shrink back in embarrassment, disgust, or fear.
- flinch verb To make a sudden, involuntary movement away from something painful, frightening, or unpleasant.
- shy adj Nervous or uncomfortable around other people; reluctant to draw attention to oneself.
- startle verb To give someone a sudden shock or fright, usually without real danger.
- wince noun A sudden movement or gesture of shrinking away.
Senses
kavahtaa is used for these senses in English:
- cringe (intransitive) To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.
- flinch (intransitive) To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe; to blench.
- shy (intransitive) To jump back in fear.
- startle (intransitive) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.
- wince (intransitive) To flinch as if in pain or distress.
cringe — full definition
- verb To flinch or shrink back in embarrassment, disgust, or fear.
- noun Something embarrassing to watch or witness, especially online.
- adj Embarrassingly awkward or uncool (informal).
flinch — full definition
- verb To make a sudden, involuntary movement away from something painful, frightening, or unpleasant.
- verb To hesitate or avoid facing something difficult.
- noun A sudden involuntary jerk away from something.