cringey
Americanadjective
-
causing a reaction or feeling of embarrassment, awkwardness, or discomfort; cringeworthy.
The movie brought back my cringey middle school memories.
-
seeking favor by means of servile behavior or flattery.
His talk show is mostly cringey interviews with celebrities.
Other Word Forms
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.
I skipped cringey events like “Guess the weight of the sculpture” and an “inch of gold” sale in favor of a $45 sushi-making class at Izumi, the cruise line’s Japanese restaurant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
It’s so overly consultant-speak cringey that I can clearly picture a corporate off-site meeting about to go into breakout sessions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Kind of a cringey comedic bit between Trevor Noah and Bad Bunny that I won’t go to the trouble of play-by-playing here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
Something similar played out a few years back with Geriatric Millennials, born in the early '80s, whose brand of humour—the crying-laughing emoji, finger moustaches and the word "adulting"—was derided as cringey.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026
The rest of the movie, you share snacks with Lucy, rolling your eyes together at a cringey line, whispering about sea turtles and climate change.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
