kink
kink — noun
- kinksingular
- kinksplural
1. an unusual or unconventional sexual preference or habit that falls outside what
an unusual or unconventional sexual preference or habit that falls outside what most people consider typical
At a late-night café, Yuki leaned in and told Amir about a kink she had never shared with anyone.
collocation: sexual kink (singular)
When Theo nervously mentioned his kink, Dr. Nakamura smiled and said it was far more common than he thought.
collocation: mentioned his kink
Apinya and her partner talked openly about their kinks without judging each other at all.
Naomi found an old diary in her attic where she had written about a kink she discovered at nineteen.
Defne stayed up past midnight scrolling through a forum, trying to understand why certain kinks take shape.
- fetish
stronger and more clinical; a fetish often refers to something a person needs for sexual arousal, while a kink is a broader preference
- preference
a neutral, everyday word; 'kink' specifically marks the preference as unconventional
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('kinks') when referring to sexual preferences in general. The singular 'a kink' points to one specific preference. This sense is distinct from sense 6, which describes non-sexual personality oddities.
常見錯誤
2. a sharp, unwanted bend or tight fold in something long and flexible like a rope,
a sharp, unwanted bend or tight fold in something long and flexible like a rope, wire, hose, or pipe that stops it from working properly
Sana pulled the garden hose but a kink near the tap stopped the water completely.
collocation: kink near the tap
Baraka found a tight kink in the metal wire after the heavy box fell on it.
The electrician checked the cable and discovered a sharp kink deep inside the wall.
Apinya struggled to push the curtain along the rail because of a kink near the middle.
A small kink in the climbing rope made it impossible to thread through the narrow hole.
3. a tight curl or wave in a strand of hair that makes it spring back instead of ha
a tight curl or wave in a strand of hair that makes it spring back instead of hanging straight down
Inês used a flat iron every morning to smooth out the kinks in her hair.
collocation: smooth out the kinks in [hair]
Defne loved the natural kink in her baby daughter's thick black hair.
After the sudden rain, Sivan's straight hair developed small kinks along the ends.
The stylist told Jisoo that the soft kink near her forehead gave her face more character.
4. a sudden sharp cramp that strikes the neck or upper back, restricting movement a
a sudden sharp cramp that strikes the neck or upper back, restricting movement and causing strong discomfort
Ignacio woke up with a painful kink in his neck after sleeping on the old sofa.
collocation: kink in [his] neck
Justin could not turn his head because of a sharp kink near his right shoulder blade.
Ada bent over to lift the heavy suitcase and felt a sudden kink in her lower back.
A hot water bottle helped ease the stubborn kink in Stephanie's tight shoulder muscle.
用法筆記
Common in British English. American English speakers typically use 'crick' for the same meaning, especially for neck pain.
5. a minor flaw or hitch in a process or arrangement that stops things from working
a minor flaw or hitch in a process or arrangement that stops things from working smoothly until it is resolved
William found a kink in the project timeline that delayed the first two tasks by a week.
collocation: kink in the [project] timeline
The software team fixed a small kink in the login system just before the product launch.
Sana's business plan looked strong but one hidden kink worried the investors at the meeting.
There is still a kink in the supply route that needs ironing out before Friday.
The engineer spotted a kink in the safety procedure during the final inspection round.
常見錯誤
6. a strange or unusual feature in someone's character, habits, or way of thinking
a strange or unusual feature in someone's character, habits, or way of thinking — an odd little trait that makes them different from other people
Inês had a curious kink for arranging all her books by colour rather than by author.
collocation: kink for [gerund phrase]
Sivan's only noticeable kink was the odd habit of counting every step on the stairs.
The detective noticed a strange kink in the suspect's thinking that did not add up.
Jisoo's grandmother had an endearing kink for collecting used train tickets from every trip.
- quirk
the closest and most common synonym; 'quirk' is safer for learners because it has no sexual association
- eccentricity
more formal and stronger; suggests a more pronounced oddness in personality or behaviour
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SEXUAL PECULIARITY). This sense describes non-sexual oddities in personality, habits, or mental processes. If you mean a sexual preference, use sense 1.
常見錯誤
kink — verb
- kinkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- kinks3rd person singular
- kinking-ing form
- kinkedpast simple
1. to develop a sharp, unwanted bend or tight curl — used especially when something
to develop a sharp, unwanted bend or tight curl — used especially when something that should stay straight folds back on itself
The long rope kinked around the post when William pulled it in too fast.
Ada's hair kinked in the damp morning air as soon as she stepped outside the tent.
If you fold the charging cable like that, it will kink and eventually break inside.
The thin copper wire kinked sharply when Ignacio tried to bend it with just his fingers.
- straighten
to remove bends and become straight again
文法句型
something kinks
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a flexible linear object — a rope, wire, cable, hose, or strand of hair. Not used for rigid objects.
2. to cause a rope, wire, hose, or similar object to form a sharp unwanted bend, of
to cause a rope, wire, hose, or similar object to form a sharp unwanted bend, often by accident
Justin kinked the garden pipe by accident when he rolled the heavy barrel over it.
Don't kink the ribbon or it will not lie flat on the gift box at all.
negative imperative: don't kink the [object]
Stephanie kinked the charging cable while packing and now her laptop will not charge.
The strong wind kinked the flagpole line against the sharp metal edge of the roof.
- bend
a general term for changing something's shape; 'kink' specifically means creating a sharp, troublesome bend
- straighten
to remove bends and make something straight again
文法句型
kink + something
用法筆記
Object is a flexible linear item (rope, wire, hose, ribbon). Often appears in negative instructions: 'Be careful not to kink the cable.'