Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
white-knuckle. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
white-knuckle, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
white-knuckle in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
white-knuckle you have here. The definition of the word
white-knuckle will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
white-knuckle, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Adjective
white-knuckle (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.
- 2010 July 16, Colleen Long and Harry R. Weber, "BP capped well holding nearly a day into new fix", Associated Press wire:
- BP said its capped-off well appeared to be holding steady Friday morning, almost midway into a white-knuckle waiting period in which engineers watched the pressure gauges for signs of a leak.
2009 November 27, “Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has 'best guitar riff'”, in BBC:"No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship," said Mr Goldsmith.
Derived terms
Translations
causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense or nervousness
Verb
white-knuckle (third-person singular simple present white-knuckles, present participle white-knuckling, simple past and past participle white-knuckled)
- (transitive) To endure despite feeling terror, fear, apprehension, anxiety, discomfort, or torment.
2010, Tanya Ebert, Mystical Puzzle, page 24:The rest of the drive home I white knuckled it.
2017, Susan Mallery, Maisey Yates, Baby, It's Christmas & Hold Me, Cowboy:“I white-knuckled it down there. Went as fast as I could. I didn't tell anyone I was going. When I got there, they wouldn't let me in. Because I wasn't family.”
2021 April 25, Erin Griffith, “We’re All Crypto People Now”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:There’s an industry term for white-knuckling it through crypto’s wild volatility without selling: “hodl.”
2023, Justin Cook, Infectious Injustice:Some J-CATs didn't even take medication, meaning they white-knuckle this lifestyle, possibly unaware of their deviation from reality and normality.
- (transitive) To grip tightly in fear, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.
2020 November 2, a425couple, “Honda Pulls Mario Andretti From Driving the Two-Seater IndyCar”, in rec.autos.sport.nascar (Usenet):That lifting sensation is so strong, I inadvertently feel myself white-knuckling the hand grips.
Translations