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
Benny and pal Carmen's (Wally Baram) hilarious and relatable journey through their freshman year is a cringeworthy pleasure, funny, heartfelt and backed by great beats from Charli XCX (also a producer and guest star).
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
A lot of CEOs have a sort of false modesty that is relatively easy to see through and is kind of cringeworthy.
—Brian Halligan, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
Progressives threatening to move to Canada after the elections of Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump became a familiar (and often cringeworthy) trope.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Here, the tone pings between between wocka-wocka jokey, lightly whimsical, and cringeworthy, which is far from ideal.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringeworthy
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Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
A lot of CEOs have a sort of false modesty that is relatively easy to see through and is kind of cringeworthy.
—Brian Halligan, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
Progressives threatening to move to Canada after the elections of Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump became a familiar (and often cringeworthy) trope.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
Here, the tone pings between between wocka-wocka jokey, lightly whimsical, and cringeworthy, which is far from ideal.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cringeworthy
Cite this Entry
“Cringeworthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cringeworthy. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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