cringe

About 0.33 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.

   He cringed as the bird collided with the window.

2. verb To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; to feel very embarrassed.
3. verb To bow or crouch in servility.
4. verb To act in an obsequious or servile manner.
5. verb To draw (a body part) close to the body; also, to distort or wrinkle (the face, etc.).
6. verb To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to escort (someone) in a cringing manner.
7. noun A gesture or posture of cringing (recoiling or shrinking).

   He glanced with a cringe at the mess on his desk.

8. noun An act or disposition of servile obeisance.

Similar words

cower flinch wince creep quail crawl shrink grovel recoil funk

Often followed by

at and to when before in with as from

Word family

cringe comedies cringe comedy cringed cringer cringers cringes cringing