From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwincewince /wɪns/ verb [intransitive] 1 HBHto suddenly change the expression on your face as a reaction to something painful or upsetting Sandra winced as the dentist started to drill.2 EMBARRASSEDto suddenly feel very uncomfortable or embarrassed because of something that happens, something you remember etc SYN cringewince at the memory/thought/idea I still wince at the thought of that terrible evening. —wince noun [singular]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
wince• Halting in front of the mirror in the front room, the mirror that he had forced her to stare into, she winced.• We drank and winced and waited for the lesson to begin.• I winced as the engine caught.• She winced at their infelicities, at the clumsy way they beat about the bush.• His microphone whistled a little and Sally winced in embarrassment.• Ralph winced, turned his attention to another man, a man drawing a woman over to his stool.• Fred often winced when he witnessed his wife's impudence and guile, but he realised she was right.• He undressed, then crawled be-tween the gritty sheets, wincing with each creaking spring.• When he laughed, he winced with pain.wince at the memory/thought/idea• He winced at the memory as he hammered on the steel and then looked through the spy port.• She bit her lip, wincing at the memory of her resentful scheming.Origin wince (1200-1300) Old North French wenchier “to be impatient, move about suddenly” 