cringeworthy
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cringeworthy
First recorded in 1975–80; cringe ( def. ) + -worthy ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The “Ts” are easy, the semiretired commercial real-estate banker from New York says: cringeworthy fridge magnets, shot glasses, bottle openers, to name a few.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
He had previously engaged in the first of several cringeworthy pre-recorded sketches alongside his comedic stalker Jack Whitehall.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
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."
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
The backups provided some cringeworthy moments in a 30-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers — coach Jim Harbaugh’s old team — making some troubling gaffes in a sloppy second half in Santa Clara.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2025
It’s awful, cringeworthy, but I start to weep.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
