cringe
/ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒ/ verb C1- To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear. · He cringed as the bird collided with the window.
- To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; (by extension) to feel very embarrassed.
- To bow or crouch in servility.
- To act in an obsequious or servile manner.
Plural cringe · He/she/it cringes · Past cringed · Past participle cringed · -ing form cringing
Verb forms
- Base form
- cringe
- He/she/it
- cringes
- Past
- cringed
- Past participle
- cringed
- -ing form
- cringing
From the library
Sometimes the road went through woods where maples were beginning to hang out scarlet banners; sometimes it crossed rivers on bridges that made Anne’s flesh cringe with the old, half-delightful fear; sometimes it wound along a harbor shore and passed by a little cluster of weather-gray fishing huts; again it mounted to hills whence a far sweep of curving upland or misty-blue sky could be seen; but wherever it went there was much of interest to discuss.
For many decades, a significant cultural cringe existed, prompting ambitious individuals to artificially modify their speech toward the Cultivated ideal.
Other matches
Learn cringe in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.