cringe
Americanverb (used without object)
-
cringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cringed,
past participle, past
-
cringing
present participle
-
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
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cringesimple
-
cringessimple
-
have cringedperfect
-
has cringedperfect
-
am cringingprogressive
-
are cringingprogressive
-
is cringingprogressive
-
have been cringingperfect progressive
-
has been cringingperfect progressive
Past
-
cringedsimple
-
had cringedperfect
-
was cringingprogressive
-
were cringingprogressive
-
had been cringingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cringe
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English crengen, crenchen (transitive); Old English crencean, crencgean (unattested), causative of cringan, crincan “to yield, fall (in battle)”
Explanation
When you cringe, your body language shows you don't like what you see and hear. You close your eyes and grimace. You may even jerk your body away from the offensive sight or sound, like the old picture of you in an "awkward stage" that makes you cringe whenever you see it. Whether it's a song you hate or someone mentioning an embarrassing moment from the past, you cringe at things that are unpleasant. If you think about the way your body involuntarily flinches or bends in those situations, you won’t be surprised to learn that the word cringe can be traced back to the Old English word cringan, meaning “give way, fall (in battle), become bent.” That’s exactly what your body does when you cringe!
Vocabulary lists containing cringe
The Lingo of Body Language
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Of Mice and Men"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 13
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Once in a while, maybe even daily, I’ll see some headline from a mainstream news organization that makes me cringe.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
You often said things that made me cringe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Many would-be landlords cringe at the legal costs of buying a property and drafting a lease.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Canadian comedian, writer and producer Fielder is famous for harnessing the power of awkwardness, cringe and deadpan wit to great, if unsettling, comedic effect.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Tats is walking over to us, a curious expression on her face, and I cringe.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
But on the eve of her 22nd birthday, Selines — who speaks in the same honeyed, dulcet tones she sings in — admits that she cringes at the sound of her own teen yearning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
He drives a Ford pickup truck and cringes at needing a security detail, according to a person who knows him well.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Bellamy says he now often cringes looking back at the enraged footballer, banning his own team from throwing their arms up in disgust as he was so prone to do.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2025
I'm a loving person who cringes at everything associated with February 14, a fan of democracy who wants to hide every time July 4 rolls around and a very grateful individual who actively dislikes Thanksgiving.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2023
Charlie cringes, and then he recalls his mother’s words.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Glyn Johns wanted it on the album; I cringed when he picked it.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
Like almost every parent, I cringed whenever my child or another player headed the ball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
“Daddy’s home,” someone said, and a nation cringed.
From Slate ● Nov. 16, 2023
The lead lawyer for Google "visibly cringed" when the specific share of ad revenue sent to Apple was revealed, according to Bloomberg.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2023
I cringed at the thought of becoming a gravedigger, but it was better than searching for work at Chicago’s sweatshops and slaughterhouses.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
"Every time I see it, I'm cringing, I'm in disbelief," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
“If you’re cringing about writing one performance review, imagine your manager who has to write 15 of them,” says executive coach Sabina Nawaz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Reading through these items, I confess, I had a difficult time not cringing.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2023
“If I’m not embarrassed by what I did yesterday, if I’m not cringing about what I did yesterday, I did not grow,” Ms. Bichri said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2023
The picture over the couch caught my eye—the cringing, red-cheeked maiden—and I wondered what Alice was feeling just then.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
