cringing
1
6.7
- adjective
- /ˈkrɪn.dʒɪŋ/
- Archaic
- The boss noticed his cringing behavior during the meeting, which made it clear he lacked confidence.
Examples
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She was cringing in the corner, unsure of how to respond to the harsh criticism.
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Well, when everyone on camera is just sitting at home, like cringing it like that girl.
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So I'm cringing though, for this person.
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So I'm cringing though, for this person.
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Thanks to my entire evening of eye rolling, face palming, and full body cringing, we all get to experience this fantastic video.
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Cringing, slimy vermin...
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(CRINGING)
-
(CRINGING)
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He felt cringing embarrassment after realizing he had mispronounced her name.
Synonyms
2
7.4
Acting too eager to please and obey someone, often seeming weak
1
8.7
Being weak and afraid to stand up for yourself
Too willing to obey others and not speak up
Antonyms
How Submissive
- Formal
8
9.3
2
7.4
- Archaic
1
6.7
39
5.1
35
5.1
41
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Cringing comes from the older verb cringe, which meant to 'bend' or 'bow down' because of fear. So a cringing person acts like they are physically bowing away in fear or trying too hard to please, and the word now means showing too much fear or shame.