cringe
/krɪndʒ/
EN
An involuntary movement of discomfort, embarrassment, or disgust; a feeling of extreme awkwardness or secondhand embarrassment caused by something uncool, awkward, or inappropriate.
I cringed when I remembered how badly I messed up my speech at the wedding.
Etymology
Derived from Old English 'crincgan', meaning 'to fall, yield, or shrink', with Middle English influences from Old Norse 'kringa' meaning 'to curve or bend'. It evolved to its modern meaning of shrinking from embarrassment or discomfort by the 16th century.
Translations
简体中文
畏缩,尴尬到脚趾抠地,起鸡皮疙瘩
繁體中文
退縮,尬到抠脚,令人不舒服
日本語
身震いする,退く,ひどく気まずく思う
한국어
움츠리다,불편해하다,오그라들다
Deutsch
zusammenzucken,kriechen,sich ekeln
Español
encogerse,retraerse,sentir vergüenza ajena
Português
encolher-se,retrair-se,sentir vergonha alheia
Français
tressaillir,reculer,être gêné
Tiếng Việt
rúm lại,xấu hổ,cảm thấy khó chịu
Related Words
awkwardembarrassmentwinceflinchcringey