Cringe
/krɪndʒ/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo move back or away from something, often because you are afraid or disgusted.
/krɪndʒ/
To recoil or shrink, often in fear or disgust.
He cringed when he saw the spider crawling on the wall.
💡 Simply: Think of when you see something really gross or scary, like a bug crawling on someone. Your body naturally wants to move away. That's cringing!
👶 For kids: When you feel yucky or scared and want to move away.
More Examples
I cringed at the memory of my embarrassing childhood performance.
How It's Used
"She cringed at the sound of the dentist's drill."
To feel a strong emotion of embarrassment or awkwardness.
/krɪndʒ/
To feel embarrassed or ashamed.
I cringe every time I think about that awful date.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone tells a really bad joke, or maybe you see something super awkward on TV. You feel that feeling of secondhand embarrassment? That's what it means to cringe.
👶 For kids: When something is really embarrassing, and you want to hide your face!
More Examples
She cringed as she re-read the email she sent to her boss.
How It's Used
"I cringed at his outdated attempt at a TikTok dance."
A feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness.
/krɪndʒ/
The bad acting in the commercial made me cringe.
💡 Simply: It's when you see something so awkward or embarrassing that you can't help but feel it yourself.
👶 For kids: The yucky feeling you get when something is super awkward.
More Examples
I experienced a wave of cringe when he started singing off-key.
How It's Used
"That video gave me serious cringe."
Idioms & expressions
cringe-worthy
Causing feelings of cringe; embarrassing or awkward.
"That movie was so cringe-worthy, I had to turn it off."
secondhand cringe
Experiencing embarrassment on behalf of someone else.
"I felt secondhand cringe when he forgot his lines on stage."
The word "cringe" originates from Old English "cringan," meaning "to fall, give way, yield." It evolved to express a physical reaction of shrinking or recoiling, and later, a feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness.
The word has been used since the early 14th century, initially referring to withdrawing or yielding in a physical sense before shifting to denote an emotional reaction.
Memory tip
Imagine you're watching a scary movie and you physically shrink back from the screen.
Word Origin
"to fall, give way, yield"