pins and needles: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal
Quick answer
What does “pins and needles” mean?
The prickling, tingling sensation in a limb when circulation returns after being cut off.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The prickling, tingling sensation in a limb when circulation returns after being cut off.
A state of anxious or nervous anticipation before an important event.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both meanings are used identically in BrE and AmE. No significant variation in form or core usage.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in AmE for the figurative 'anxious anticipation' sense.
Grammar
How to Use “pins and needles” in a Sentence
to be on pins and needlesto have pins and needles (in + limb)to wait on pins and needlesto feel pins and needlesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pins and needles” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- My foot is pins-and-needling after sitting cross-legged.
- It started to pins and needle in my fingers.
American English
- My arm pins-and-needled for a full minute.
- I could feel it pins and needling in my leg.
adjective
British English
- I've got this pins-and-needles feeling in my hand.
- A pins-and-needles sensation shot up her arm.
American English
- He had a pins-and-needles ache in his foot.
- She described a weird, pins-and-needles numbness.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in informal contexts: 'The team was on pins and needles waiting for the merger announcement.'
Academic
Rare outside medical/physiology contexts describing paraesthesia.
Everyday
Very common for describing the physical sensation and nervous anticipation.
Technical
Used informally in medical settings; the formal term is 'paraesthesia' or 'transient paraesthesia'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “pins and needles”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “pins and needles”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pins and needles”
- Using 'pin and needle' (singular). It is always plural: 'pins and needles'.
- Confusing it with 'butterflies in one's stomach' (excitement/nerves).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Numbness is a lack of sensation. Pins and needles is the active, prickling, tingling feeling that often occurs as sensation RETURNS after numbness.
It is generally considered informal. In formal medical or academic writing, use 'paraesthesia' or 'in a state of nervous anticipation'.
No. Do not use the indefinite article 'a'. It is treated as a plural, uncountable noun phrase: 'I have pins and needles', not 'I have a pins and needles'.
It's caused by temporary pressure on nerves, which interrupts their signals. When the pressure is released, the nerves fire erratically as they 'wake up', creating the prickling feeling.
The prickling, tingling sensation in a limb when circulation returns after being cut off.
Pins and needles: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpɪnz ən ˈniːd(ə)lz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpɪnz ən ˈnid(ə)lz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on pins and needles (in a state of nervous anticipation)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine sitting on a cushion full of actual pins and needles – the sharp, prickling sensation is exactly what the idiom describes.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BODILY SENSATION IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (pins/needles); ANXIETY IS A PHYSICAL SENSATION.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'pins and needles'?