pinch
pinch — verb
1. to grip a small bit of skin or other material between your thumb and a finger an
to grip a small bit of skin or other material between your thumb and a finger and squeeze it tightly, often hard enough to hurt.
Maya pinched her little brother's arm under the table when he started giggling.
pinch + body part of another person
Grandpa Lin gently pinched my cheek and called me his little tomato.
affectionate pinch + cheek
Pinch the edges of the dough together so the filling does not leak out.
imperative: pinch + edges together
Carlos pinched his nose shut before jumping into the cold pool.
pinch + nose shut for sealing
Be careful not to pinch your finger when you close the metal toolbox.
warning: get a body part pinched
- pinch someone's cheek
- pinch the skin
- pinch the edges together
- pinch hard
Grammar Patterns
pinch + body part
pinch + object
Usage Note
Object is usually a small piece of skin, cloth, or material; the action is brief and uses only the thumb plus one finger, unlike 'grip' or 'grab' which can involve the whole hand.
Common Mistakes
2. to squeeze your own skin as a way of testing whether something amazing or strang
to squeeze your own skin as a way of testing whether something amazing or strange is really happening rather than a dream.
When Lina won the lottery, she had to pinch herself to believe it was real.
pinch oneself + to believe it was real
Standing on the Eiffel Tower, Marcus kept pinching himself.
kept pinching oneself for ongoing disbelief
I had to pinch myself when I saw my book on the shop window.
had to pinch myself for amazement
Rosa pinched herself to make sure the wedding was not a dream.
pinch oneself + to make sure
- pinch myself
- pinch yourself
- have to pinch oneself
- rub one's eyes
similar idiom of checking unbelievable sights
Grammar Patterns
pinch oneself
Usage Note
Almost always reflexive ('pinch yourself / myself / herself') and used to express disbelief at something wonderful or unbelievable. Distinguish from sense 1: the literal squeezing here is not the point — the point is the speaker's amazement.
Common Mistakes
3. to take something that belongs to another person without permission, especially
to take something that belongs to another person without permission, especially something small or not very expensive.
Some kid pinched my umbrella from the café while I was paying the bill.
pinch + object + from + place
Marcus pinched a few chips off his sister's plate when she looked away.
pinch + small food item + off + plate
Who pinched my pen? I left it on the desk five minutes ago.
informal complaint: who pinched my X
The kids had pinched apples from the neighbour's garden again.
past perfect: had pinched + from
- pinch something from someone
- pinch a biscuit
- pinch an idea
- return
give back what was taken
Grammar Patterns
pinch + object
pinch + object + from + place/person
Usage Note
Mainly British informal. Used for petty, low-stakes theft — small items, snacks, office supplies — not serious crime. For serious or larger theft, use 'steal'.
Common Mistakes
4. (of a shoe, collar, or similar tight clothing) to press uncomfortably on a part
(of a shoe, collar, or similar tight clothing) to press uncomfortably on a part of the body, causing soreness.
These new shoes pinch my toes whenever I walk uphill.
shoe + pinches + body part
Sarah's wool collar pinched her neck all through the long ceremony.
clothing + pinched + body part
My boots are starting to pinch a little after this long hike.
intransitive: [shoes] pinch
The waistband on these jeans pinches when I sit down.
waistband + pinches + when-clause
- shoes pinch
- the collar pinches
- pinch one's toes
- fit
be the right size and feel comfortable
Grammar Patterns
[clothing/shoe] + pinches
[shoe] + pinches + body part
Usage Note
Subject is almost always a shoe, boot, collar, belt, or other piece of clothing that fits too tightly. Often appears without an object ('these shoes pinch'). Distinguish from sense 1, where a person is doing the pinching.
Common Mistakes
5. to put a person, household, or company under heavy money pressure by costing far
to put a person, household, or company under heavy money pressure by costing far above what their budget allows.
Rising fuel prices are pinching small farms across the valley.
rising prices + pinching + group
The new rent will pinch our family budget badly this winter.
the new X will pinch + budget
Higher taxes are starting to pinch retired couples on fixed incomes.
higher taxes + pinch + group on fixed incomes
The factory closure pinched the whole town for years.
event + pinched + community
- pinch household budgets
- rising prices pinch
- pinch small businesses
- ease
make a financial situation lighter
Grammar Patterns
pinch + person/organisation
Usage Note
Subject is usually a cost, price, tax, or economic event; object is the person, family, or business under pressure. Closely related to the noun 'feel the pinch'. Distinguish from sense 4: that one is physical (shoes), this one is financial.
Common Mistakes
pinch in
phrasal verbTo press something inward, usually with your fingers, to make it smaller or fit better.
She pinched in the sides of the box to close it tightly.
Can you pinch in the dough around the edges to seal the pie?
pinch off
phrasal verbTo remove a small part of something by pressing it between your thumb and finger.
He pinched off a piece of clay to shape into a small bowl.
The gardener pinched off the dead leaves to help the plant grow.
pinch out
phrasal verbTo remove the top part of a plant by pressing with your fingers, which helps it grow more branches.
Sara pinched out the tips of the basil to make it bushier.
You should pinch out the growing shoots for a fuller plant.
pinch pennies
idiomTo be very careful about how much money you spend, especially by buying only the cheapest things.
After losing his job, Tom had to pinch pennies to pay the rent.
Maya pinches pennies by cooking at home instead of eating out.
pinch — noun
1. the tiny quantity of a powder or similar substance that you can pick up between
the tiny quantity of a powder or similar substance that you can pick up between your thumb and one finger; by extension, any very small amount.
Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water before the pasta goes in.
a pinch of + salt (cooking)
Lina sprinkled a pinch of cinnamon over the warm apple slices.
a pinch of + spice
The recipe calls for two pinches of dried chilli flakes.
two pinches of + flakes
Chef Marco added just a pinch of saffron to the steaming pot of rice.
a pinch of + spice (cooking scene)
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of pepper
- a pinch of sugar
- a pinch of cinnamon
- heap
a large piled-up amount
Grammar Patterns
a pinch of + uncountable noun
Usage Note
Almost always in the pattern 'a pinch of + uncountable noun'. Common with cooking ingredients (salt, pepper, sugar, spices) but also figurative ('a pinch of humour', 'a pinch of luck').
Common Mistakes
2. a single act of gripping someone's skin or a small thing tightly between thumb a
a single act of gripping someone's skin or a small thing tightly between thumb and finger.
Aunt Rosa gave the baby a gentle pinch on the cheek and laughed.
give + body part + a pinch
A sharp pinch on his arm reminded Marcus to stop slouching.
a sharp pinch on + body part
One quick pinch and the candle wick went out.
one quick pinch (compact action)
The nurse felt a tiny pinch as the needle entered her skin.
felt + a tiny pinch (sensation)
- give a pinch
- a sharp pinch
- a gentle pinch
- a playful pinch
Grammar Patterns
give someone a pinch
a pinch on + body part
Usage Note
Often modified by 'gentle / sharp / quick / little / playful' to describe how the squeeze feels. Frequent in the structure 'give someone a pinch'. Distinct from sense 1 — that is a quantity, this is an action.
Common Mistakes
3. a difficult period of pressure, money shortage, or sudden crisis when resources
a difficult period of pressure, money shortage, or sudden crisis when resources or time are very limited.
Many young families are starting to feel the pinch as rents keep rising.
feel + the pinch (financial)
When the harvest failed, the village faced a real pinch all winter.
face + a pinch (hardship period)
The team's old goalkeeper has saved them in a pinch many times.
in a pinch (= emergency)
Small shops along the high street are clearly in a pinch this year.
in a pinch (business hardship)
- feel the pinch
- in a pinch
- at a pinch
- a financial pinch
- ease
a comfortable, relaxed period
Grammar Patterns
the pinch
a pinch (= emergency)
Usage Note
Most often in fixed phrases: 'feel the pinch' (suffer money pressure), 'in a pinch' / 'at a pinch' (in an emergency or as a backup). Rarely used outside these patterns in modern English.
Common Mistakes
feel the pinch
idiomto start having less money than you need and to notice the effect on your daily life.
Small bookshops are really feeling the pinch since the new tax came in.
After Marcus lost his weekend job, the whole family began to feel the pinch.
in a pinch
idiomif you really have to, when there is no better option available, especially in an emergency.
In a pinch, you can use baking soda to clean the kitchen sink.
Lina can babysit the twins in a pinch if Sarah gets called to work.
at a pinch
idiomif it is really necessary, although it is not the best choice; the British equivalent of 'in a pinch'.
At a pinch, this little car can fit five people for a short trip.
Carlos said the spare room could sleep two guests at a pinch.
to listen to a piece of information but not believe it completely, because it might not be fully true.
Take his fishing stories with a pinch of salt — he likes to make them bigger.
Aunt Rosa takes the gossip column's celebrity news with a pinch of salt.
pinch hitter
idiomin baseball, a player sent to bat in place of a teammate at an important moment; more generally, someone who steps in to do a job at short notice.
The coach sent in Marcus as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.
Sarah acted as a pinch hitter when our regular speaker fell ill.
pinch pennies
idiomto be very careful about spending money, often in a way that seems mean or extreme.
The Tanaka family had to pinch pennies until both parents found work again.
Students often pinch pennies during the last week before payday.
Word family
- pinchedadjectiveC2
- pinchernounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four verbs describe pressing flesh or material between fingers, but they differ in size, force, and tone. 'Pinch' is the standard word for using thumb and one finger to grip a small piece of skin or cloth tightly, often briefly painful: 'She pinched the cookie dough closed.' 'Squeeze' is broader and stronger — you can squeeze with the whole hand or even both hands, and the object can be much larger ('squeeze a lemon', 'squeeze his shoulder'). 'Nip' is smaller and faster than a pinch, sometimes done with fingernails or even teeth, and is common with animals ('the puppy nipped my finger'). 'Tweak' adds a quick twisting motion to a small pinch and is often playful or affectionate ('he tweaked her nose'). Use 'pinch' for the typical thumb-plus-finger action, 'squeeze' when more of the hand is involved, 'nip' for a tiny sharp grip, and 'tweak' when you also turn or pull slightly.
Common collocations
Phrases
- a pinch of salt
- feel the pinch
- in a pinch
- pinch pennies
- pinch oneself
Prepositions
- pinch on (a body part)
- pinch from (a place)
- pinch off
Etymology
'Pinch' came into Middle English in the 1200s from Old French 'pincier' meaning 'to nip or grip'. The Old French form is itself believed to come from a Vulgar Latin verb related to 'piccare' ('to pierce or prick'). The early sense was the physical action of squeezing skin between finger and thumb. From this concrete meaning, English later developed figurative uses: the noun for 'a small amount' (the bit you can lift between two fingers, 1500s), the slang sense 'to steal' (1600s, perhaps from the idea of quickly grabbing something), and modern phrases like 'feel the pinch' for financial strain.