[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cringe.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / cringe

[← C](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/C/)

# cringe

«cringe» in Mova's school dictionary: **To feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable about…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (cringe, cringes, cringed, cringing); noun (a cringe); adjective (slang: cringe, cringey/cringy)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable about something, often pulling a face or wanting to hide. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#m1)

2) To move back or bend your body away from something because you are afraid or disgusted. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#m2)

3) (slang) Embarrassing or awkward, as in «That video is so cringe.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#m3)

4) (noun) The feeling or act of cringing: «a cringe of embarrassment». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life children say «cringe» or «cringey» about awkward videos, dad jokes or parents dancing. In stories it tells the reader a character is embarrassed or scared. Phrases: «make someone cringe», «cringe with embarrassment», «cringe at», «so cringe», «cringe-worthy», «the cultural cringe» (Australia, feeling your own culture is not as good).

### examples

- I cringe every time I hear my old recorder playing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x1)
- The dog cringed when the thunder boomed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x2)
- Dad's dancing at the wedding made us all cringe. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x3)
- (slang) Ugh, that advert is so cringe. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x4)
- (slang) My old photos are well cringey. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x5)
- She cringed at the sight of the spider. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x6)
- It was a cringe-worthy moment when he forgot his lines. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x7)
- He cringed away from the angry goose. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x8)
- She was far too pretty to cringe in this way, but Peter thought it his due, and he would answer condescendingly, “It is good. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/#x9)

### note

Past form «cringed», -ing form «cringing» (drop the e). Using «cringe» as an adjective («so cringe») is slang, fine with friends but not in a formal essay; write «embarrassing» there. Spelled «cringey» or «cringy».

### In the corpora

- ["dǎ léi le" means "it's thundering"; in slang "léi rén" means shocking or cringe.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/chinese-street/20-weather-and-what-granny-says-to-wear/13/)
- ["Sick" meaning great became common in the 1980s and 1990s; "cringe" means embarrassing.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/language/17-slang-and-how-it-changes-with-every-generation/11/)
- [Mortified means extremely embarrassed; "cringe" is slang for that squirming feeling.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/reflection/9-humiliated-in-front-of-everyone-the-moment-that-won-t-go-away/6/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «cringe» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cringe/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.