cringe

1 of 3

verb

ˈkrinj 

cringed; cringing

intransitive verb

1

: to recoil in distaste

Americans cringed … at the use of a term now regarded as a slur

—William Safire

2

: to shrink in fear or servility

The terrified animal cringed in the corner.

3

: to behave in an excessively humble or servile way

beggars cringing to tourists for money

4

: to draw in or contract one's muscles involuntarily (as from cold or pain)

… we cringe under the blasting wind …

—Charles S. Houston

cringer noun

cringe

2 of 3

noun

: a cringing act

specifically : a servile bow

cringe

3 of 3

adjective

slang

: so embarrassing, awkward, etc. as to cause one to cringe : cringeworthy

a cringe moment

cringe comedy [=comedy involving jokes that make people uncomfortable]

It's hard to find a movie from the early 2000s that isn't a little cringe.

—theringer.com

Synonyms

Verb

• blench
• flinch
• quail
• recoil
• shrink
• squinch
• wince

Choose the Right Synonym for cringe

fawn, toady, truckle, cringe, cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior.

fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

Examples of cringe in a Sentence

Verb

Many English teachers cringe when their students use the word “ain't.”

I always cringe when I hear that song.

Just the thought of eating broccoli makes me cringe.

The dog cringed at the noise.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Since most consumers don’t feel like repainting their home every year, leaning too far into today’s 15-minute trends can tank a brand’s color credibility while leaving their customers cringing with regret. —Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024

The whole scene feels freshly cut from some conversation in an undergrad gender studies class in the year 2024—the kind of conversation said undergrads will someday look back on and cringe over. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Noun

There were moments where the banter surrounding this music carried a whiff of the historic cringe of Hillary Clinton hitting the Macarena during the 1996 DNC. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

But being in your early thirties and playing yourself as a junior high school student and then surrounding yourself with age-appropriate actors who are actually going through that hellish rite of passage brings a whole new layer of cringe and humor. —Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Some jokes are uncomfortably cringe and downright inappropriate — a Girls Gone Wild joke in a Muppets movie? —Barry Levitt, Vulture, 20 June 2024

There is a cringe factor that works and a cringe factor that doesn’t. —Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English crengen; akin to Old English cringan to yield, Middle High German krank weak

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1592, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1983, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cringe

• cringe comedy
• cringe-y

Kids Definition

cringe

verb

ˈkrinj

cringed; cringing

ˈkrin-jiŋ

1

: to shrink in fear or distaste : cower

cringed at the sight of blood

2

: to behave in a too humble or cowardly way

cringer noun