cringe

1 of 3

verb

cringed; cringing

intransitive verb

1
: to recoil in distaste
Americans cringed … at the use of a term now regarded as a slurWilliam 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
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
Her video blog details a new budget that would make the economists cringe. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 Adults will roll their eyes at the fart jokes; but then, kids will cringe at the sound of Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
Filmed in the mockumentary format, the cringe comedy follows workers at a paper company led by buffoonish boss David Brent (Gervais), whose self-awareness is worlds apart from how his employees perceive him. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024 Demi Lovato and Alyson Stoner are reminiscing about the experience of shooting Camp Rock — and the cringe baggage that came with it. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2024
Adjective
There is a cringe factor that works and a cringe factor that doesn’t. Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Drawing inspiration from cringe comedy classics and crafted largely through improvisation, THE PREMIERE is a keen satire about the Hamptons with a biting love letter to the community at its core. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cringe 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cringe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cringe was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cringe

Cite this Entry

“Cringe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cringe. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on cringe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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