The meaning of CRINGE is to recoil in distaste.

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.

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

Dec 26, 2025 · Learn the cringe meaning in slang, its origin, usage tips, and the funniest ways it appears online in this upbeat, meme-savvy guide.

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.

What does “Cringe” mean? The slang phrase "Cringe" means 'really embarrassing.' When something is described as "Cringe", it implies that it is so awkward or embarrassing that it makes you feel …

cringe (krɪndʒ) vb (intr) 1. to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility 2. to behave in a servile or timid way

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

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.