cringed; cringing
1
: to recoil in distaste
Americans cringed … at the use of a term now regarded as a slur—
William Safire
William Safire2
: 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
Charles S. Houston
cringer
noun
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
theringer.comExamples 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
Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 May 2025
Even for some Republicans who would like to see more babies and larger families, the whole pro-natalist push is cringe in a bad way.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2025
Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
Tim Robinson, the former Saturday Night Live writer and performer who now co-stars with Paul Rudd in the prickly cringe comedy Friendship, is probably a genius.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Robinson’s humor is wildly cringe and enjoyable as usual, as the physical comedy master has to say very little to elicit laughs.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringe
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Verb
Over the past few years, generational warfare has only ramped up—so much so that it’s become boring to even reference: Gen Z hating on millennials for being cringe, millennials hating on Gen Z for being puritanical, and everyone hating on boomers for being, well, boomers.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 3 May 2025
Even for some Republicans who would like to see more babies and larger families, the whole pro-natalist push is cringe in a bad way.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2025
Noun
There’s a lot of cringe in both Curb and The Studio.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
Tim Robinson, the former Saturday Night Live writer and performer who now co-stars with Paul Rudd in the prickly cringe comedy Friendship, is probably a genius.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
Adjective
Yes, Newsom’s new podcast is cringe, columnist Anita Chabria writes.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Robinson’s humor is wildly cringe and enjoyable as usual, as the physical comedy master has to say very little to elicit laughs.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringe
Cite this Entry
“Cringe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cringe. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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