vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Squirm" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "retorcerse", and "flinch" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "estremecerse". Learn more about the difference between "squirm" and "flinch" below.
squirm(
skwuhrm
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
1. (to writhe)
a. retorcerse
Everyone was squirming with laughter during the ridiculous musical number.Todos se retorcían de risa durante el absurdo número musical.
b. revolverse
The children started squirming 30 minutes into the mass.Los niños empezaron a revolverse después de 30 minutos en misa.
a. avergonzarse
The students squirmed when the teacher touched on the topic of sex in class.Los alumnos se avergonzaron cuando el maestro tocó el tema del sexo en la clase.
3. (colloquial) (to avoid; used with "out of")
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. escabullirse
I did all the cooking, so there's no way you're going to squirm out of doing the dishes.Yo cociné todo, así que de ningún modo te va a escabullir de lavar los platos.
flinch(
flihnch
)An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
1. (to recoil)
a. estremecerse
Briana flinched when the hawk flew within inches of her face.Briana se estremeció cuando el halcón pasó volando a unas pulgadas de su cara.
b. encogerse
The singer flinched when a fly landed on his microphone, but kept on singing.El cantante se encogió cuando una mosca se posó en el micrófono, pero siguió cantando.
a. rehuir de
Despite all of the difficulties of being a single parent, Monica never flinched from her motherly duties.A pesar de todas las dificultades de ser madre soltera, Mónica nunca rehuyó de sus responsabilidades de madre.
b. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Alicia is not a woman who will flinch from her responsibilities.Alicia no es una mujer que va a dejar de cumplir sus responsabilidades.
Peter never flinched from making tough decisions.Peter nunca se echó atrás a la hora de tomar decisiones difíciles.
