cringey

[ krin-jee ]

/ ˈkrɪn dʒi /

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adjective Informal.

causing a reaction or feeling of embarrassment, awkwardness, or discomfort; cringeworthy: The movie brought back my cringey middle school memories.

seeking favor by means of servile behavior or flattery:His talk show is mostly cringey interviews with celebrities.

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Origin of cringey

First recorded in 1965–70; cringe + -y¹

It’s not for anyone who can’t stand gruesomeness, or who hates having their heart seize due to explicit sex, surprises, cringey scenes, or jumpy scares.
In ‘Manhunt,’ a virus turns males into monsters|Terri Schlichenmeyer|March 4, 2022|Washington Blade
It’s cringey, ridiculous, and makes you wish one of our many compounding extinction crises would just hurry up and take us all, now.
Lauren Boebert’s ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Dress Screams Prom Villain|Alaina Demopoulos|November 5, 2021|The Daily Beast
Many have tried to replicate his cringey success—but there will never be another Norm Macdonald.
Norm Macdonald's Comedic Genius Explained in One Brilliant Joke|Andrew R. Chow|September 14, 2021|Time
Thanks for … imagine some non-cringey alternative to “weighing in.”
Carolyn Hax: How to stop mom from constantly talking about weight?|Carolyn Hax|September 9, 2021|Washington Post

He managed to find a sweet spot of authenticity, with his videos surfing the platform’s meme of the month for surprisingly non-cringey videos that got his name out and, maybe, got the vote out.
Dems Convert Jon Ossoff Thirst Into Campaign Cash|Sam Brodey|July 9, 2021|The Daily Beast