cringe

[krinj]

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.

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

/ 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

noun

1. the act of cringing

2. subservience to overseas cultural standards

Other Word Forms

• cringer noun
• cringingly adverb
• cringingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cringe¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English crengen, crenchen (transitive); Old English crencean, crencgean (unattested), causative of cringan, crincan “to yield, fall (in battle)”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cringe¹

Old English cringan to yield in battle; related to Old Norse krangr weak, Middle High German krenken to weaken

Example Sentences

“I wish it hadn’t happened — it makes me cringe, it makes me unhappy, it makes me more afraid,” said Corey.

From Los Angeles Times

The momentum is with Rogen, who played cringe comedy to perfection on “The Studio.”

From Los Angeles Times

Colman, who burst into my awareness in the 2003 TV cringe comedy “Peep Show,” is fantastic throwing jabs around in costume designer PC Williams’ nouveau hipster wardrobe of bold, baggy lines.

From Los Angeles Times

Moss opens up about his struggles to negotiate the demands of the practical world, while Hodgetts performs brilliant critiques of the others’ work, sometimes to broad smiles, others to cringes.

From Los Angeles Times

“It must have been really confusing for the haters, and really sort of awful and disorienting, that this really not rock ‘n’ roll, horribly earnest, cringe thing was just spreading everywhere,” he said.

From Salon

Related Words

• cower 
• kneel 
• quiver 
• tremble 
• wince