cringe
[ krinj ]
/ krɪndʒ /
verb (used without object), cringed, cring·ing.
to shrink, bend, or crouch, especially in fear or servility; cower.
to fawn.
noun
servile or fawning deference.
Origin of cringe
1175–1225; Middle English
crengen,
crenchen (transitive); Old English
*crencean, crencgean, causative of
cringan, crincan to yield, fall (in battle)
OTHER WORDS FROM cringe
cring·er, noun cring·ing·ly, adverb cring·ing·ness, nounWords nearby cringe
crimpy,
crimson,
crimson clover,
crimson flag,
crine,
cringe,
cringe-making,
cringle,
crinite,
crinkle,
crinkle leaf
Example sentences from the Web for cringing
British Dictionary definitions for cringing
cringe
/ (krɪndʒ) /
verb (intr)
to shrink or flinch, esp in fear or servility
to behave in a servile or timid way
informal
- to wince in embarrassment or distaste
- to experience a sudden feeling of embarrassment or distaste
noun
the act of cringing
the cultural cringe Australian
subservience to overseas cultural standards
Derived forms of cringe
cringer, noun cringingly, adverbWord Origin for cringe
Old English
cringan to yield in battle; related to Old Norse
krangr weak, Middle High German
krenken to weaken