MEANING
To draw back or contract oneself involuntarily from fear, anticipated hurt, or acute embarrassment.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- cringe at a threat
- cringe away from
- cringe before authority
On the page
He cringed when the fist came down on the desk.
The child cringed away from the snarling dog.
She hated how quickly she had learned to cringe before his anger.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- cringe / cringes
- Past tense
- cringed
- Past participle
- cringed
- Present participle
- cringing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- cringe / cringes
- Present continuous
- am/is/are cringing
- Present perfect
- have/has cringed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been cringing
- Past
- cringed
- Past continuous
- was/were cringing
- Past perfect
- had cringed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been cringing
- Future
- will cringe / cringes
- Future continuous
- will be cringing
- Future perfect
- will have cringed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been cringing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Often signals embarrassment or disgust rather than fear; provide the threatening stimulus when needed. Can imply servile submission. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): cringe, cringes, cringed, cringed, cringing.
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