cringeworthy
adjective
cringe·wor·thy
ˈkrinj-ˌwər-t͟hē 
: so embarrassing, awkward, or upsetting as to cause one to cringe
a cringeworthy performance
Examples of cringeworthy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is a series about a cringeworthy Gatsby figure who refuses to cringe.
—
Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
This surreal dash becomes a little cringeworthy after the crash, knowing that these spaces meant for vehicles carry significant risk for animals.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024
Funny, heartbreaking, and often cringeworthy, this awkward dramedy about a lonely data entry clerk obsessed with her younger co-worker was sadly overlooked during the 2015 awards season.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Jaylen Brown’s high-school class project dunks were cringeworthy.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2024
Strangulation is a particularly cringeworthy term in astronomy, referring to the decline of the number of stars born in some types of galaxies.
—Juan P. Madrid, Scientific American, 4 Jan. 2024
Some who saw the video on social media described it as bizarre and even cringeworthy.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024
My feed is now a confusing mess of people of all demographics trying to go viral, in increasingly cringeworthy and occasionally eyebrow-raising ways.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2023
Is anyone’s victory dance more gloriously cringeworthy than Chandler’s?
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023
Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
This surreal dash becomes a little cringeworthy after the crash, knowing that these spaces meant for vehicles carry significant risk for animals.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024
Funny, heartbreaking, and often cringeworthy, this awkward dramedy about a lonely data entry clerk obsessed with her younger co-worker was sadly overlooked during the 2015 awards season.
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Jaylen Brown’s high-school class project dunks were cringeworthy.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2024
Strangulation is a particularly cringeworthy term in astronomy, referring to the decline of the number of stars born in some types of galaxies.
—Juan P. Madrid, Scientific American, 4 Jan. 2024
Some who saw the video on social media described it as bizarre and even cringeworthy.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024
My feed is now a confusing mess of people of all demographics trying to go viral, in increasingly cringeworthy and occasionally eyebrow-raising ways.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2023
Is anyone’s victory dance more gloriously cringeworthy than Chandler’s?
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cringeworthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cringeworthy
Cite this Entry
“Cringeworthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cringeworthy. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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