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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
- the cultural cringesubservience to overseas cultural standards
Derived Forms
- ˈԲ, noun
- ˈԲԲ, adverb
Other Word Forms
- Բ· noun
- Բ·Բ· adverb
- Բ·Բ·Ա noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of cringe1
Word History and Origins
Origin of cringe1
Example Sentences
But he believes in something — in mildly cringe ideas about democracy, no doubt — and he understands what time it is.
“I'll see things about him in the news and think, That's fg cringe, I should probably post about this and denounce it, which I have done a few times,” Wilson said.
Even if the offense makes all of us cringe.
On one occasion he had recorded in documents that Rhianan expressed a wish to be deradicalised, describing her views as "cringe", but on another she felt she was "far too into this now" to change.
"If you thought Trump-Zelensky was cringe then wait until you hear me..." he quipped.
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