cringe

play

verb \ˈkrinj\

Definition of cringe

cringed

;

cringing

intransitive verb
1 : to draw in or contract one's muscles involuntarily (as from cold or pain) … we cringe under the blasting wind … — Charles S. Houston
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 recoil in distaste Americans cringed … at the use of a term now regarded as a slur — William Safire

cringer

noun

See cringe defined for English-language learners

See cringe defined for kids

Examples of cringe in a Sentence

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 of cringe from the Web

This is the one who cringed every time Donald Trump did something cruel, vulgar or misogynistic.

— david brooks, New York Times, "Fellow Trump Critics, Maybe Try a Little Listening", 22 Nov. 2016
Dr. Chung cringes a little, but acknowledges there are similarities.

— sumathi reddy, WSJ, "The Doctors Who Solve Medical Mysteries", 7 Nov. 2016
Blessed with searing groundstrokes that resonated especially well on clay courts, Stewart, who grew up in Miami, also possessed a work ethic that would make competitors cringe.

— cindy shmerler, New York Times, "Tennis", 23 Aug. 2016
Mr. Kirk said, referring to Senator Richard J. Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, who was sitting two seats away and cringed mildly at the word choice.

— david m. herszenhorn, New York Times, "Mark Kirk in Electoral Vise as Republican in Illinois Senate Race", 5 Aug. 2016
These would be complex and subtle questions about love for an adult reader—let alone for a young reader who still cringes in discomfort at witnessing the mildest of on-screen kisses.

— rebecca mead, The New Yorker, "“My Friend Flicka”: A Book About Horses That Is a Book About First Love", 2 June 2016
The ain’t might have made grammarians cringe, but everyone else knew that this new American way of talking was all about breaking rules and cutting corners.

— ted gioia, The Atlantic, "The Year American Speech Became Art", 2 June 2016
In a campaign that has delivered a daily dose of head-shaking moments of awe, Mr. Trump on Thursday continued the trend, in a manner that made some Republicans cringe.

— jennifer steinhauer and alexander burns, New York Times, "Paul Ryan Says He Is ‘Not Ready’ to Endorse Donald Trump", 5 May 2016
And who wants to look back on wedding photos fifty years down the line only to cringe at a silly uniform?

— calum marsh, Esquire, "The 6 Things You Need to Know About Dressing Your Groomsmen", 11 Feb. 2015

These example sentences are collected from online sources. Help us improve them by sending feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cringe

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

First Known Use: 13th century

Synonym Discussion of 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

cringe

noun

Definition of cringe

: a cringing act; specifically : a servile bow

Recent Examples of cringe from the Web

Watch the whole amazingly cringe-worthy event above, and please, for all of our sakes, respect the artistry and presence of goddess Adele.

— lauren duca, Teen Vogue, "Don't DARE Try Filming Adele in Concert, When You Ought To Be Enjoying Her "In Real Life"", 30 May 2016
For the cringe-prone listener, this can be dangerous.

— sarah larson, The New Yorker, "The Human Comedy of Adam Wade", 19 Apr. 2016
Respect gives way to an involuntary cringe and the hope that this fine athlete will finally have the sense, win or lose, to walk away.)

— michael powell, New York Times, "Willie Wood Made the Most Memorable Play of Super Bowl I. He Has No Recollection. FEB. 4, 2016", 4 Feb. 2016
So, the above clip—which features no blood, no jokes (that are funny), and some cringe-worthy dialog that builds into a confounding Reynolds butt shot—is very likely the worst scene in this movie.

— matt miller, Esquire, "This Deadpool Teaser Scene Is Guaranteed to Lower Your Expectations", 25 Jan. 2016
This headline appeared on a fake-news Web site in July, only to be heedlessly picked up by other media outlets, thereby initiating one of the year’s most cringe-inducing urban legends.

— matthew hutson, The Atlantic, "The Strange Origins of Urban Legends", 3 Nov. 2015
The pranks and #brands are enough to make one cringe.

— jill krasny, Esquire, "8 Classic Fails From the Greatest April Fools", 1 Apr. 2015
In honor of his maiden voyage into American theaters, here's a primer on Partridge's long, cringe-worthy career.

— nick schager, Esquire, "Steve Coogan's Hilarious Alan Partridge: A Primer", 4 Apr. 2014
Today, WWD announced that Zimmer — who not only launched the company but served as the star of the its often cringe-worthy commercials (see below) — was dismissed.

— max berlinger, Esquire, "Men's Wearhouse Founder George Zimmer is the Steve Jobs of Fashion", 19 June 2013

These example sentences are collected from online sources. Help us improve them by sending feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cringe

see ¹cringe

First Known Use: 1597

CRINGE Defined for English Language Learners

cringe

play

verb \ˈkrinj\

Definition of cringe for English Language Learners

: to feel disgust or embarrassment and often to show this feeling by a movement of your face or body
: to make a sudden movement from fear of being hit or hurt

CRINGE Defined for Kids

cringe

play

verb \ˈkrinj\

Definition of cringe for Students

cringed

;

cringing

1 : to shrink in fear : cower … when you see a dog cringe … You know somebody's been kicking at him. — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh
2 : to show disgust or embarrassment at something He cringed at the suggestion of eating liver.