sprain
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
a violent straining or wrenching of the parts around a joint, without dislocation.
-
the condition of being sprained.
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
See strain 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has sprainedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have sprainedperfect
-
have been sprainingperfect progressive
-
are sprainingprogressive
-
has been sprainingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am sprainingprogressive 1st person singular
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is sprainingprogressive 3rd person singular
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sprainssingular 3rd person
-
sprainingparticiple
Past
-
had sprainedperfect
-
had been sprainingperfect progressive
-
were sprainingprogressive plural
-
was sprainingprogressive singular
-
sprainedparticiple
-
sprainedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of sprain
First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain
Explanation
To sprain one of your joints is to twist it suddenly. The result is a sprain, in which the ligaments have been injured. Don’t go hiking in high heels because you might sprain your ankle. A sprain — which occurs at joints such as the wrist, elbow, or knee — happens when the ligaments are turned quickly and painfully. After the initial pain, a sprain will swell up. Spraining something is difficult, but things could be worse — a sprained knee will heal quicker than a broken bone.
Vocabulary lists containing sprain
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kevin Durant was ruled out Tuesday because of a left ankle sprain.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
Recall, James suffered a grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the deciding loss.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
All-American Yaxel Lendeborg, gutting out a knee sprain, added 13.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Lyla had already spent more than a year dealing with pain that was initially thought to be a sprain or small fracture.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
“You’re lucky his hand isn’t broken. It was a sprain, his mother said. The thumb. Still, it’ll be two weeks before he can get back.”
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
