cringe

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: fringe, cringle, ringe, scringe, bringe, cringy, crine, cring

Antonyms: fringe, cringle, ringe, scringe, bringe, cringy, crine, cring

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Verb

{{lb|en|intransitive}} To [[cower]], [[flinch#Verb|flinch]], [[recoil#Verb|recoil]], [[shrink]], or [[tense]], as in [[disgust#Noun|disgust]], [[embarrassment]], or [[fear#Noun|fear]].
{{lb|en|intransitive|figuratively}} To [[experience#Verb|experience]] an [[inward]] [[feeling#Noun|feeling]] of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; {{lb|en|by extension}} to [[feel#Verb|feel]] very [[embarrassed#Adjective|embarrassed]].
{{lb|en|intransitive}} To [[bow#Verb|bow]] or [[crouch#Verb|crouch]] in [[servility]].
{{lb|en|intransitive|figuratively}} To [[act#Verb|act]] in an [[obsequious]] or [[servile]] [[manner]].
{{lb|en|transitive|obsolete}} To [[draw#Verb|draw]] (a [[body]] [[part#Noun|part]]) [[close#Adjective|close]] to the body; also, to [[distort]] or [[wrinkle#Verb|wrinkle]] (the [[face#Noun|face]], etc.).
{{lb|en|transitive|obsolete}} To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to [[escort#Verb|escort]] (someone) in a [[cringing#Adjective|cringing]] [[manner]].

{{lb|en|countable}} A [[gesture#Noun|gesture]] or [[posture#Noun|posture]] of [[cringe#Verb|cringing]] ([[recoil#Verb|recoiling]] or [[shrink#Verb|shrinking]]).
{{lb|en|countable|figuratively}} An [[act#Noun|act]] or [[disposition]] of [[servile]] [[obeisance]].
{{lb|en|countable|Britain|dialectal}} A {{l|en|crick|t=[[painful]] [[muscular]] [[cramp#Noun|cramp]] or [[spasm#Noun|spasm]] of some [[part#Noun|part]] of the [[body]]}}.
{{lb|en|uncountable|slang|derogatory}} Things, particularly [[online#Adjective|online]] [[content#Noun|content]], which would cause an [[onlooker#Noun|onlooker]] to cringe from [[secondhand embarrassment#Noun|secondhand embarrassment]].

{{lb|en|slang|derogatory}} {{synonym of|en|cringeworthy,uncool|addl=[[inducing]] [[awkwardness#Noun|awkwardness]] or [[secondhand embarrassment]]}}.

{{lb|en|slang|derogatory}} {{ng|Stated in [[response]] to something [[cringeworthy]].}}

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.