<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used without object) cringed, cringing.<ul><li>to shrink back, bend, or crouch, especially in fear, pain, or servility; cower: They cringed and bowed before the king.</li><li>to feel very embarrassed or awkward; react with discomfort: Some of us cringed at the speaker’s tactless comments.</li><li>to seek favor by acting in a servile way; fawn: He has never cringed to anyone—in fact, he can sometimes be a bully.</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>an act or instance of shrinking back, bending, or crouching: The gunshots elicited a cringe of terror.</li><li>an instance of being very embarrassed, awkward, or uncomfortable: Some of his outfits are bizarre enough to induce a cringe or two.</li><li>servile or fawning deference.</li></ul><p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>Slang. causing embarrassment or resulting in awkward discomfort; cringeworthy; cringey: Her attempt to rap at the talent show was so very cringe.</li></ul>