cringeworthy

Or cringe-wor·thy

[krinj-wur-thee]

adjective

1. causing a reaction or feeling of embarrassment, awkwardness, or discomfort.

   They exchanged glances at the show’s cringeworthy attempts at humor.

Other Word Forms

• cringeworthiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cringeworthy¹

First recorded in 1975–80; cringe ( def. ) + -worthy ( def. )

Example Sentences

The text exchanges contain nothing remotely illegal or related to Epstein’s crimes yet are cringeworthy enough as to have forced Mr. Summers to take leave from teaching duties at Harvard.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Bondi’s resemblance to the blonde brat from millennial movie lore wasn’t just cringeworthy in a woman pushing 60.

Read more on Salon

Bondi’s resemblance to the blonde brat from millennial movie lore wasn’t just cringeworthy in a woman pushing 60.

Read more on Salon

But the one that arrives at the end of the ninth season’s first batch of episodes, now streaming, is perhaps the most cringeworthy, and a sobering reminder of how the show’s fantasy premise doesn’t always triumph over the realities of dating.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His misguided approach - often aped on the Accidentally Partridge social media account, which shares cringeworthy clips of public figures - is "provocative" but, Coogan hopes, "never mean-spirited."

Read more on BBC