The meaning of CRINGE is to recoil in distaste. How to use cringe in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Cringe.

To cringe is also to pull back in fear from someone or something that seems powerful and dangerous:

Feb 7, 2017 · Cringe: When someone acts/ or is so embarrassing or awkward , it makes you feel extemely ashamed and/or embarrassed.

Cringe definition: to shrink back, bend, or crouch, especially in fear, pain, or servility; cower: They cringed and bowed before the king.. See examples of CRINGE used in a sentence.

Feb 20, 2024 · Before Gen Z got their youthful hands on it, the word cringe meant “to recoil in distaste,” per Merriam-Webster. You’d probably use the word IRL as a verb to describe your …

Oct 10, 2025 · cringe (countable and uncountable, plural cringes) (countable) A gesture or posture of cringing (recoiling or shrinking). He glanced with a cringe at the mess on his desk.

Definition of cringe verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

cringe (krɪndʒ) vb (intr) 1. to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility 2. to behave in a servile or timid way

Nov 8, 2024 · The term “cringe” has evolved significantly from its original meaning, which referred to a physical reaction to fear or disgust. In contemporary slang, however, it describes feelings …

Sep 18, 2025 · It's Been a Minute's Brittany Luse on the rise of cringe culture: where it comes from, how it's hurting us, and how leaning into cringe is good for art.