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Slang dictionary results for cringey

cringey

American  
[krin-jee] / ˈkrɪn dʒi /
Or cringy

adjective

Informal.

  1. causing a reaction or feeling of embarrassment, awkwardness, or discomfort; cringeworthy.

    The movie brought back my cringey middle school memories.

  2. seeking favor by means of servile behavior or flattery.

    His talk show is mostly cringey interviews with celebrities.

Etymology

Origin of cringey

First recorded in 1965–70; cringe ( def. ) + -y 1 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cringey corporate memes and a swath of orange-hued profile pictures followed, with Adweek publishing a guide to the consumerist chaos.

From Salon • Aug. 20, 2025

Cramer has been at the forefront of these efforts, using her popular TikTok account, Cringey the Ram, to share videos highlighting the tactics and agenda of Moms for Liberty and similar groups.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2023

Cringey NYC jokes aside, you do have to feel for the kid.

From Golf Digest • Oct. 4, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.