Definition of CRINGE

Choose the Right Synonym for cringe

Verb

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

Locals of the Far North cringed when tourists pulled out their lighters. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Planning a trip to California’s far north this summer? Read this first.," 7 June 2019 Viewers will cringe while watching the Pacers make their way off the court as fans hurl bottles, and even a chair, at them. — Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, "The Turbulent Journey of Metta World Peace," 5 June 2019 But brace yourself to watch videos of women cringing while Joe Biden massages their shoulders approximately a hundred times. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Joe Biden Isn't the Best Alternative to Trump," 6 May 2019 Check out these stars' jaw-dropping comments and get ready to cringe from secondhand embarrassment. 1. — Stacey Grant, Seventeen, "18 Celebs Who Threw Massive Amounts of Shade at Their Exes," 17 Oct. 2018 Republicans predictably made Newsom their foe, and Democrats cringed at how his move might energize social conservatives to vote against them in the 2004 presidential election. — Melanie Mason, latimes.com, "When Gavin Newsom issued marriage licenses in San Francisco, his party was furious. Now, it's a campaign ad," 15 May 2018 That might explain why, despite PEN15's jokes, the laughs aren't brought on by a punchline so much as by a cringing sense of recognition. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "The Creators of PEN15 Present Their Hilarious, Oddly Harrowing New Show," 26 Feb. 2019 Just saying the words can make people cringe, but Lee Ledbetter understands its potential. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "So This Is The Secret to Making a Modern Home Feel Cozy," 8 Mar. 2019 That’s all good news for Colts fans who cringed at the notion their bright, young star may never return to his pre-injury form following surgery. — Michael Marot, The Seattle Times, "Luck to make start, may play most of 1st quarter at Seattle," 7 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Jay Baruchel crafts a surreal, cringe-worthy dating life with the trope on Man Seeking Woman, in which his ex goes on to date Adolf Hitler in the first episode. — Michelle Ofiwe, Esquire, "How Donald Glover Changed the Way Black Stories Are Told on Television," 10 Nov. 2016 There was Kanye’s bizarre meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office last October, with a gaggle of reporters recording every cringe-inducing moment. — Jonathan Van Meter, Vogue, "The Awakening of Kim Kardashian West," 10 Apr. 2019 That formative, cringe-inducing time was filled with angst, cliques, and a whole lot of acne. — Bonnie Stiernberg, Glamour, "I Wish Every Teen Girl Would Watch Hulu's PEN15," 10 Mar. 2019 There is solid logic behind this strategy, even if losing a fourth-round pick is cringe worthy for a team that has all kinds of holes, especially on defense. — Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press, "How this NFL draft could propel Detroit Lions into playoffs," 28 Apr. 2018 Game of Thrones Season 8, HBO, April 14 The final winter is coming, finally, to HBO, where Game of Thrones will wrap after eight years making us cringe, cry, and talk about dragons. — Vogue, "9 Things to Watch in April on Netflix, HBO and More," 29 Mar. 2019 While some of the advice is cringe-worthy, there are a few tips and tricks that are applicable to modern marriages. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, "WATCH: Some 1950s Marriage Advice Is Still Really Valuable Today," 14 June 2018 That doesn’t make our high-handed dismissal of the group any less cringe-worthy. — Jim Impoco, Newsweek, "The Beatles Suck. Yeah, We Said That," 3 Feb. 2014 In the hilariously cringe-y episode, 18-year-old Zac thinks that a canopy is a mosquito net, takes a swim in some girl's pool, stretches out one prospective date's pair of pumps, and plays a girl's guitar (horribly). — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "OMG, You Have to See 18-Year-Old Zac Efron on "Room Raiders"," 26 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cringe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.