pins and needles

noun

A tingling or prickling sensation, felt in a limb when a nerve compression is relieved and in other situations.

Similar
paresthesiaasleepdead
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Meanings

noun
  1. informalA tingling or prickling sensation, felt in a limb when a nerve compression is relieved and in other situations.

    The sensations caused by the loss of this nerve vary from numbness or "pins and needles" to severe pain.

    1990, S. DelPin Failla, V. Fox, Ask the O.R. (number 6), volume 90, The American Journal of Nursing, page 18

    Synonyms: paresthesia, asleep, dead

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA tingling or prickling sensation, felt in a limb when a nerve compression is relieved and in other situations.

Similar
paresthesiaasleepdead

Translations

Catalan formigueig
  • formigueigtingling felt in limb
Chinese Mandarin 發麻 /发麻
  • 發麻 /发麻 (fāmá)tingling felt in limb
Czech mravenčení
  • mravenčenítingling felt in limb
Danish snurrer og stikker
  • snurrer og stikkertingling felt in limb
Dutch tinteling
  • tintelingtingling felt in limb
Esperanto formikado
  • formikadotingling felt in limb
Finnish kihelmöinti
  • kihelmöintitingling felt in limb
French fourmis, avoir des fourmis dans les jambes
  • fourmistingling felt in limb
  • avoir des fourmis dans les jambestingling felt in limb
German Ameisenlaufen
  • Ameisenlaufentingling felt in limb
Greek μυρμήγκιασμα, μυρμηκίαση
  • μυρμήγκιασμα (myrmígkiasma)tingling felt in limb
  • μυρμηκίαση (myrmikíasi)tingling felt in limb
Hungarian zsibbadás, zsibbadtság
  • zsibbadástingling felt in limb
  • zsibbadtságtingling felt in limb
  • bizsergéstingling felt in limb
Irish codladh driúraic, codladh gliúragáin
  • codladh driúraictingling felt in limb
  • codladh gliúragáintingling felt in limb
  • codladh grifíntingling felt in limb
  • diúracastingling felt in limb
  • eanglachtingling felt in limb
Italian formicolio
  • formicoliotingling felt in limb
Māori kerekerewai, kēkerewai
  • kerekerewaitingling felt in limb
  • kēkerewaitingling felt in limb
Polish mrowienie, drętwienie
  • mrowienietingling felt in limb
  • drętwienietingling felt in limb
Portuguese formigamento
  • formigamentotingling felt in limb
Russian пока́лывание
  • пока́лывание (pokályvanije)tingling felt in limb
Scottish Gaelic cadal-deilgneach
  • cadal-deilgneachtingling felt in limb
Spanish hormigueo
  • hormigueotingling felt in limb
Turkish karıncalanma
  • karıncalanmatingling felt in limb
Cite this entry
APA

pins and needles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pins%20and%20needles

MLA

“pins and needles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pins%20and%20needles. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pins and needles,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pins%20and%20needles.

Source: pins and needles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.