1-Stop Dictionary Reference

Cringe

ahd-5

intransitive verb. To shrink back, as in fear; cower.

intransitive verb. To behave in a servile way; fawn.

noun. An act or instance of cringing.

The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To bend; crouch; especially, to bend or crouch with servility or from fear or cowardice; fawn; cower.

Synonyms To stoop, truckle.

To contract; distort.

noun. A servile or fawning obeisance.

the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

transitive verb. To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.

transitive verb. To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend or crouch with base humility; to wince; hence, to make court in a degrading manner; to fawn.

noun. Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.

Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

noun. A posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling.

noun. A crick.

verb. To bow or crouch in servility.

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

WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

verb. show submission or fear

verb. draw back, as with fear or pain

Word Usage

"One thing that makes me cringe is seeing politicians from the mainstream parties acting as apologists for BNP voters."

Antonyms

Words with the opposite meaning

bluster bully swagger

cross-reference

crouch shrink wince

Form

cringed cringeworthy cringing

Hypernym

Words that are more generic or abstract

bend flex

Rhyme

Words with the same terminal sound

Inge binge fringe hinge impinge

Synonym

Words with the same meaning

apple-polish avoid bend bend the knee bend the neck

verb-form

cringed cringes cringing