clench

A clenched fist.

English

Etymology

From Old English beclenċan, causative of clingan (“cling”). Compare stink and stench.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

Noun

clench (plural clenches)

1. Tight grip.
2. (engineering) A seal that is applied to formed thin-wall bushings.

Translations

tight grip

• Finnish: puristus (fi)

• Russian: сжимание (ru) (sžimánije) n, стискивание (ru) (stískivanije) n

seal

• Russian: зажим (ru) (zažím)

Verb

clench (third-person singular simple present clenches, present participle clenching, simple past and past participle clenched)

1. To squeeze; to grip or hold tightly.

   He clenched his fist in anger.

Synonyms

• clasp
• clutch

Antonyms

• unclench

Translations

to squeeze

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 咬緊 (cmn), 咬紧 (cmn) (yǎojǐn), 攥緊 (cmn), 攥紧 (cmn) (zuànjǐn), 握緊 (cmn), 握紧 (cmn) (wòjǐn)

• Czech: sevřít (cs)
• Finnish: puristaa (fi)
• French: serrer (fr)

• German: ballen (de) (Fäuste)
• Japanese: 堅く締める (ja) (かたくしめる, kataku shimeru), 握り締める (ja) (にぎりしめる, nigirishimeru), 固める (ja) (かためる, katameru)
• Russian: сжимать (ru) (sžimátʹ) impf., сжать (ru) (sžatʹ) pf., стискивать (ru) (stískivatʹ) impf., стиснуть (ru) (stísnutʹ) pf.

Related terms

• clinch