cringe

[ krinj ]

/ krɪndʒ /

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See synonyms for: cringe / cringed / cringing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), cringed, cring·ing.

to shrink back, bend, or crouch, especially in fear, pain, or servility; cower: 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

Slang. causing embarrassment or resulting in awkward discomfort; cringeworthy; cringey: Her attempt to rap at the talent show was so very cringe.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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)”

OTHER WORDS FROM cringe

cring·er, nouncring·ing·ly, adverbcring·ing·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cringe in a sentence

And in the season finale, I cringed so hard that tears finally came out.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards|Kevin Fallon|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When my British husband insisted that what he truly wanted for his birthday was to see a Monster Jam Truck show, I cringed inside.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture|Eliza Krigman|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Democrats who saw it cringed, Republicans were stunned, and nobody else noticed.
Alison Grimes Will Have to Step It Up to Beat Mitch McConnell|Sam Youngman|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I cringed when one actually screamed at me: "How can beggars be choosers?"
The Pointlessness of Some Disaster Charity After the Indian Floods|Dilip D’Souza|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But many among the Conservative old guard cringed at its “feminine” sounding message.
Margaret Thatcher: The Accidental Feminist|Amanda Foreman|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He hated scenes and tiresome debates as he hated people who cringed and sidled before him.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
She cringed at the thought, for what was she that a man should die in her service?
Riders of the Silences|John Frederick
“None of us cringed, unless it was you,” Ato retorted angrily.
Hunters Out of Space|Joseph Everidge Kelleam
Madge cringed as a vivid flash of lightning zigzagged across the sky to illuminate an ugly mass of dark clouds.
The Missing Formula|Mildred A. Wirt, AKA Ann Wirt
He cringed from the thought, although he knew that there was little to fear if he linked himself to the ship.
Tight Squeeze|Dean Charles Ing

British Dictionary definitions for cringe

cringe

/ (krɪndʒ) /

verb (intr)

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

the cultural cringe Australian subservience to overseas cultural standards

Derived forms of cringe

cringer, nouncringingly, adverb

Word Origin for cringe

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cringe

Origin of cringe

OTHER WORDS FROM cringe

Words related to cringe

How to use cringe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cringe

Derived forms of cringe

Word Origin for cringe