cringe

American  

[krinj] / krɪndʒ /

verb (used without object)

cringed, cringing

1. 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.

2. to feel very embarrassed or awkward; react with discomfort.

   Some of us cringed at the speaker’s tactless comments.

3. to seek favor by acting in a servile way; fawn.

   He has never cringed to anyone—in fact, he can sometimes be a bully.

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noun

1. an act or instance of shrinking back, bending, or crouching.

   The gunshots elicited a cringe of terror.

2. an instance of being very embarrassed, awkward, or uncomfortable.

   Some of his outfits are bizarre enough to induce a cringe or two.

3. servile or fawning deference.

adjective

1. Slang. causing embarrassment or resulting in awkward discomfort; cringeworthy; cringey.

   Her attempt to rap at the talent show was so very cringe.

cringe British  

/ krɪndʒ /

verb

1. to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility

2. to behave in a servile or timid way

3. informal

   1. to wince in embarrassment or distaste

   2. to experience a sudden feeling of embarrassment or distaste

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noun

1. the act of cringing

2. subservience to overseas cultural standards

Other Word Forms

• cringer noun
• cringingly adverb
• cringingness noun

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!

Example Sentences

He even manages to pull off an a cappella version of the 2004 Mario R&B ballad “Let Me Love You” without drifting into cringe territory.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Despite my penchant for outer space films and my affinity for Gosling’s work, the millennial cringe of it all left a bitter taste in my mouth.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

A long-standing critic said "it is better to cringe and do a U-turn than do the wrong thing".

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Oftentimes, when we cringe after an overshare, the other person is grateful to have been trusted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

The happy squeals of the other covens turned to whispers and sighs of relief, Seven thought with a cringe.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• cower
• kneel
• quiver
• tremble
• wince