Phrase guide

pins and needles

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: paresthesia, asleep, dead

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a sharp tingling sensation from lack of circulation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prickling, tingle, tingling

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: formigueig — tingling felt in limb
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發麻 /发麻 (fāmá) — tingling felt in limb
  • Czech: mravenčení — tingling felt in limb
  • Danish: snurrer og stikker — tingling felt in limb
  • Dutch: tinteling — tingling felt in limb
  • Esperanto: formikado — tingling felt in limb
  • Finnish: kihelmöinti — tingling felt in limb
  • French: fourmis — tingling felt in limb
  • French: avoir des fourmis dans les jambes — tingling felt in limb
  • Galician: formigo — tingling felt in limb
  • Georgian: დაბუჟება (dabužeba) — tingling felt in limb
  • German: Ameisenlaufen — tingling felt in limb
  • Greek: μυρμήγκιασμα (myrmígkiasma) — tingling felt in limb
  • Greek: μυρμηκίαση (myrmikíasi) — tingling felt in limb
  • Hungarian: zsibbadás — tingling felt in limb
  • Hungarian: zsibbadtság — tingling felt in limb
  • Hungarian: bizsergés — tingling felt in limb
  • Irish: codladh driúraic — tingling felt in limb
  • Irish: codladh gliúragáin — tingling felt in limb
  • Irish: codladh grifín — tingling felt in limb
  • Irish: diúracas — tingling felt in limb
  • Irish: eanglach — tingling felt in limb
  • Italian: formicolio — tingling felt in limb
  • Manx: cadley jargan — tingling felt in limb
  • Māori: kerekerewai — tingling felt in limb
  • Māori: kēkerewai — tingling felt in limb
  • Nupe: kpadzákpadzá — tingling felt in limb
  • Polish: mrowienie — tingling felt in limb
  • Polish: drętwienie — tingling felt in limb
  • Portuguese: formigamento — tingling felt in limb
  • Russian: пока́лывание (pokályvanije) — tingling felt in limb
  • Scottish Gaelic: cadal-deilgneach — tingling felt in limb
  • Spanish: hormigueo — tingling felt in limb
  • Sranan Tongo: anansi — tingling felt in limb
  • Turkish: karıncalanma — tingling felt in limb
  • Yoruba: pajápajá — tingling felt in limb