verb
sprain
sprayn
verb
1
To injure a joint or ligament by twisting it too far without dislocating it.
"She sprained her ankle stepping off the curb."
"He sprained his wrist trying to break his fall."
noun
1
The injury caused by twisting a joint or ligament this way.
"The doctor confirmed it was just a mild sprain, not a fracture."
How to Use Sprain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo twist or overstretch a joint (like an ankle or wrist) without breaking a bone, or the resulting injury.
Common mistake
A sprain injures ligaments around a joint; a strain injures a muscle or tendon — they aren’t quite the same thing.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sprain an ankle
a mild sprain
Word Forms
sprained past tense, sprains plural, sprains singular
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Fill the Gap
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She _____ her ankle stepping off the curb.
Etymology
Possibly from Middle French espraindre ("to wring, press out"), from Latin exprimere — the same root as "express".