# cringe

/ˈkɹɪndʒ/ (US) · /kɹˈɪndʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cringe
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to feel embarrassed

verb · CEFR B2

to feel very embarrassed or awkward because of something someone else does or says.

For teachers: to experience an internal sensation of acute embarrassment or secondhand discomfort.

- I cringe every time I think about the mistake I made during the presentation.
- She couldn't help but cringe as her father began telling his outdated jokes to her new colleagues.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'at'.

### 2. to pull away in fear

verb · CEFR B2

to move your body back or down because you are afraid or in pain.

For teachers: to recoil or shrink back physically, typically as a reflexive response to fear, pain, or disgust.

- The dog would cringe whenever it heard a loud noise like thunder.
- The witness seemed to cringe under the prosecutor's aggressive questioning, pulling her shoulders in as if to hide.

### 3. awkward or uncool

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

describing something that is very embarrassing or socially awkward.

For teachers: functioning as a synonym for 'cringeworthy'; used to describe content or behaviour that induces secondhand embarrassment.

- That old video of me dancing is so cringe I can't even watch it.
- The brand's attempt to use modern slang in their advertisement felt forced and incredibly cringe to the younger audience.

Teaching tip: While traditionally a verb, this adjectival use is extremely common in internet culture and among younger speakers.

## Examples

- I cringe when I hear my old songs.
- She cringed at the awkward silence during the interview.
- Viewers often cringe at the dated fashion choices in early 2000s reality television, finding the styles painfully out of step with modern aesthetics.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.