cringeworthy

American  

[krinj-wur-thee] / ˈkrɪndʒˌwɜr ði /

Or cringe-worthy

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

---

Etymology

Origin of cringeworthy

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cringeworthy

It’s cringeworthy to watch and heartbreaking to endure.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Here is how the painfully cringeworthy back-and-forth played out:

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

He’s like a cringeworthy successor to Poochie, the rapping dog “with an attitude” developed at the behest of pathetically uncool network-television executives in an old episode of “The Simpsons.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Yes, it’s a Faust story, with hints of the “Final Destination” films and an unrepentant love of ominous weather and cringeworthy class warfare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

It’s awful, cringeworthy, but I start to weep.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---