The meaning of CRINGE is to recoil in distaste.

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

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.

3 days ago · 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

Oct 23, 2025 · The Psychology of Cringe So, why does cringe hit us so hard? It's all about empathy, my friends. When we witness someone else's embarrassing moment, our brains actually mirror those …

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English cringe /krɪndʒ/ verb [intransitive] 1 to move away from someone or something because you are afraid A stray dog was cringing by the door.

cringe, n. & adj. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

If you cringe at something, you feel embarrassed or disgusted, and perhaps show this feeling in your expression or by making a slight movement. We all cringed when she started picking up the guitar.