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Definition of sprain verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

 

sprain

 verb
verb
NAmE//spreɪn//
 
sprain somethingVerb Forms present simple I / you / we / they sprain
 
he / she / it sprains
 
past simple sprained
 
-ing form spraining
 
 
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to injure a joint in your body, especially your wrist or ankle, by suddenly twisting it I stumbled and sprained my ankle. Topic CollocationsInjuriesbeing injured
  • have a fall/an injury
  • receive/suffer/sustain a serious injury/a hairline fracture/a gunshot wound/a concussion/whiplash injuries
  • hurt/injure your ankle/back/leg
  • damage the brain/an ankle ligament/your liver/the optic nerve/the skin
  • pull/strain/tear a hamstring/ligament/muscle/tendon
  • sprain/twist your ankle/wrist
  • break a bone/your collarbone/your leg/three ribs
  • fracture/crack your skull
  • break/chip/knock out/lose a tooth
  • burst/perforate your eardrum
  • dislocate your finger/hip/jaw/shoulder/elbow
  • bruise/cut/graze your arm/knee/shoulder
  • burn/scald yourself/your tongue
  • bang/bump/hit your elbow/head/knee (on/against something)
treating injuries
  • treat somebody for burns/a head injury/a stab wound
  • examine/clean/dress/bandage/treat a bullet wound
  • repair a damaged/torn ligament/tendon/cartilage
  • amputate/cut off an arm/a finger/a foot/a leg/a limb
  • put on (formal) apply/take off a Band-Aid™/a sterile dressing/a bandage
  • need/require/put in/get/take out stitches
  • put on/rub on (formal) apply cream/ointment/lotion
  • have/receive/undergo physical therapy
Thesaurusinjure
  • wound
  • hurt
  • bruise
  • sprain
  • pull
  • strain
These words all mean to harm yourself or someone else physically, especially in an accident.
  • injure to harm yourself or someone else physically, especially in an accident:He injured his knee playing hockey. Three people were injured in the crash.
  • wound [often passive] (somewhat formal) to injure part of the body, especially by making a hole in the skin using a weapon:Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in the attack. Wound is often used to talk about people being hurt in war or in other attacks which affect a lot of people.
  • hurt (somewhat informal) to cause physical pain to someone or yourself; to injure someone or yourself:Did you hurt yourself?
injure or hurt?
  • You can hurt or injure a part of the body in an accident. Hurt emphasizes the physical pain caused;injure emphasizes that the part of the body has been damaged in some way.
  • bruise to make a blue, brown, or purple mark (= a bruise) appear on the skin after someone has fallen or been hit; to develop a bruise
  • sprain to injure part of your body, especially your ankle, wrist, or knee, by suddenly bending it in an awkward way, causing pain and swelling
  • pull to damage a muscle, etc., by using too much force
  • strain to injure yourself or part of your body by making it work too hard:Don't strain your eyes by reading in poor light.
Patterns
  • to injure/hurt/strain yourself
  • to injure/hurt/pull/strain a muscle
  • to injure/hurt/sprain your ankle/knee/wrist
  • to injure/hurt/strain your back/shoulder/eyes
  • to injure/hurt your spine/neck
  • to be badly/severely/slightly injured/wounded/hurt/bruised/sprained
a bad ankle sprainSee sprain in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary