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cringe
[krinj]
verb (used without object)
to shrink back, bend, or crouch, especially in fear, pain, or servility; cower: They cringed and bowed before the king.
She cringed in a corner and started praying.
They cringed and bowed before the king.
to feel very embarrassed or awkward; react with discomfort.
Some of us cringed at the speaker’s tactless comments.
to seek favor by acting in a servile way; fawn.
He has never cringed to anyone—in fact, he can sometimes be a bully.
noun
an act or instance of shrinking back, bending, or crouching.
The gunshots elicited a cringe of terror.
an instance of being very embarrassed, awkward, or uncomfortable.
Some of his outfits are bizarre enough to induce a cringe or two.
servile or fawning deference.
adjective
Slang.causing embarrassment or resulting in awkward discomfort; cringeworthy; cringey.
Her attempt to rap at the talent show was so very cringe.
cringe
/ ɪԻ /
verb
to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility
to behave in a servile or timid way
informal
to wince in embarrassment or distaste
to experience a sudden feeling of embarrassment or distaste
noun
the act of cringing
subservience to overseas cultural standards
Other Word Forms
- cringer noun
- cringingly adverb
- cringingness noun
- ˈԲ noun
- ˈԲԲ adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of cringe1
Word History and Origins
Origin of cringe1
Example Sentences
The song itself is pretty cringe, with a lyric bogged down by cliches and a melody you’ve heard a zillion times before.
"Some of those old fights are still on YouTube - I almost cringe at how gangly and uncoordinated I was. But seeing the improvement makes me feel good."
One viewer joked online that it made them "cringe", while another said the singer had "lost the plot".
Together, they create a vision of college life that will make millennials cringe in recognition.
Robinson didn’t invent this kind of cringe comedy.
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