hand-wringing

noun

hand-wring·​ing ˈhand-ˌriŋ-iŋ How to pronounce hand-wringing (audio)
Synonyms of hand-wringingnext
: an overwrought expression of concern or guilt
a lot of hand-wringing over the state of the economy
handwringer noun

Examples of hand-wringing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But this hand-wringing has led to little tangible reform. — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 11 May 2026 And the burnout risk is real, not generational hand-wringing. — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Would all the hand-wringing about the price be moot after experiencing one? — Sara Lacey, The Drive, 25 June 2026 The lack of hand-wringing from outside legacy media may indicate a bigger shift. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand-wringing

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand-wringing was in 1839

Rhymes for hand-wringing

See All Rhymes for hand-wringing

Browse Nearby Words

handwoven
hand-wringing
handwrist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-wringing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hand-wringing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hand-wringing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All