SINCE 1828
cringeworthy
adjective
cringe·wor·thy
| \ ˈkrinj-ˌwər-t͟hē
\
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Definition of cringeworthy
: 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
But what made Monday's episode so incredibly cringeworthy is that the rescinding happened about 50 minutes before the three-hour window of TV came to an end. — Justin Kirkland, USA TODAY, "Is it time to stop watching 'The Bachelor?'," 6 Mar. 2018 Errors at schools that pride themselves on teaching writing skills are most cringeworthy, graduates say. — Melissa Korn, WSJ, "Nice Degree, but Your Diploma Gets an ‘F’ for Spelling," 19 Aug. 2018 There are cringeworthy moments, and not just that famous footage from her 1972 trip to North Vietnam, of Fonda paling around with the enemy troops and laughing her way through a photo op astride one of their anti-aircraft guns. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "In A New HBO Documentary, A Tale of Five Jane Fondas," 21 Sep. 2018 Many moments during the October 11 meeting between rapper Kanye West and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House could be described as cringeworthy — strange, even. — Jenn M. Jackson, Teen Vogue, "Kanye West Is What Internalized Racism and Misogyny Looks Like," 17 Oct. 2018 The description matches a cringeworthy concept trailer the company released back in 2013 which showed a device with one large internal screen combined with a second smaller screen on the outside for use when folded. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Samsung says its foldable phone is also a tablet that fits in your pocket," 12 Oct. 2018 This time around, Meghan Markle's father is dragging her for not being in contact with him and also speculating about her reproductive plans, either of which would have been cringeworthy enough on their own. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle's Dad Slams Her for Not Talking to Him, Speculates That She'll Have a Baby Soon," 29 July 2018 Trump opponents criticized Fallon for a cringeworthy interview only weeks before the election where Fallon playfully stroked Trump’s hair. — BostonGlobe.com, "Jimmy Fallon reveals his personal pain following Trump fallout," 20 June 2018 These panels can make for some beautiful, unscripted moments — and also lead to some cringeworthy experiences. — Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY, "'Westworld' is latest panel to be killed by fan questions: Here are a few others," 22 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cringeworthy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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