cringe🔊

To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.

(figuratively) To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; (by extension) to feel very embarrassed.

To bow or crouch in servility.

(figuratively) To act in an obsequious or servile manner.

(obsolete) To draw (a body part) close to the body; also, to distort or wrinkle (the face, etc.).

(obsolete) To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to escort (someone) in a cringing manner.

A gesture or posture of cringing (recoiling or shrinking).

(figuratively) An act or disposition of servile obeisance.

(Britain, dialectal) A crick (painful muscular cramp or spasm of some part of the body).

(slang, derogatory) Things, particularly online content, which would cause an onlooker to cringe from secondhand embarrassment.

(slang, derogatory) Uncool, inducing awkwardness or secondhand embarrassment. +

(slang, derogatory) Stated in response to something cringeworthy.