wink
To quickly close and open one eye to send a friendly or secret message to someone.
To quickly close and open one eye on purpose, usually to share a private joke, show friendliness, or signal something secretly.
A fast move of one eye, closing and opening it to send a friendly or secret message.
A quick, deliberate closing and opening of one eye, used as a sign of friendliness, humor, or a shared secret.
When a light shines and then stops again and again in small, quick flashes.
Of a light or small point of brightness, to shine and then become dim or dark again in repeated short flashes.
A short, light sleep, often spoken about in informal phrases.
A brief period of light sleep, especially used in the plural in informal expressions.
To see that something is wrong but decide not to do anything about it.
To choose not to notice or punish bad behavior, especially when you have the power or duty to act.
- Base: wink
- Plural: winks
- Base: wink
- 3rd Person Singular: winks
- Present Participle: winking
- Past: winked
give someone a wink
1make a winking signal
To quickly close and open one eye at someone to send a secret or friendly message.
- She gave me a wink to show that she was only teasing.
- The waiter gave us a wink when our table was ready.
- He gave his friend a wink before starting the prank.
in the wink of an eye
1very quickly, almost instantly
So fast that it seems to happen almost at once.
- The thief grabbed her bag and disappeared in the wink of an eye.
- The internet allows news to travel across the world in the wink of an eye.
- In the wink of an eye, the clear sky turned dark.
not sleep a wink
1to get no sleep at all
To not sleep at all during a night or other period of time.
- The storm was so loud that I didn’t sleep a wink all night.
- I was so nervous about the exam that I hardly slept a wink.
- The hotel was so noisy I didn’t sleep a wink.
nudge nudge, wink wink
1indirect, often sexual, hint
A joking way to say that something has a secret or sexual meaning, even if people do not say it directly.
- The advertisement was full of nudge nudge, wink wink jokes.
- He told the story with a lot of nudge nudge, wink wink, so everyone knew what he really meant.
- The movie is mostly clean, with just a bit of nudge nudge, wink wink humor.
wink at something
1ignore or condone wrongdoing
To notice that something is wrong but choose not to stop it.
- For years, the authorities winked at the illegal gambling business.
- The school cannot wink at bullying, even if it seems minor.
- Many people feel that tax officials wink at certain kinds of fraud.
forty winks
1a short, light sleep
A short sleep, usually taken during the day or when you are a little tired, not for the whole night.
- I’m exhausted; I just need forty winks before we go out.
- I’m going to grab forty winks before the party starts.
- He grabbed forty winks on the sofa during his lunch break.
- He lay down on the sofa for forty winks after lunch.
- Let me have forty winks, then I’ll finish the report.
- You look exhausted—try to get forty winks while the baby is sleeping.