Cringe (Verb)
Meaning 1
Show submission or fear.
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- She tried to make a speech but her nervousness made her cringe at the thought of speaking in front of so many people.
- The animal would cringe whenever it heard the loud noise from the nearby construction site.
- In the presence of her boss, she couldn't help but cringe at the mistakes she had made on her project.
- As the scary part of the movie began, the children in the room started to cringe and cover their eyes.
- The defendant in the court would often cringe whenever the prosecutor brought up evidence against him.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- She cringed as the dentist's drill touched her sensitive tooth.
- He cringed at the memory of his awkward first kiss in high school.
- The child cringed away from the loud barking dog.
- The sight of the gruesome accident made her cringe in horror.
- Watching the scene of her embarrassing moment on live TV made her cringe.