Cringe definition | Dictionary.com

Synonyms

blench, quail, recoil, shrink, shy, start, wince, bootlick, grovel, kowtow, slaver, toady

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Cringe - 7 dictionary results

cringe

[krinj]

verb, cringed, cring⋅ing, noun

–verb (used without object)

1.	to shrink, bend, or crouch, esp. in fear or servility; cower.

to fawn.

–noun

3.	servile or fawning deference.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME crengen, crenchen (transit.); OE *crencean, crencgean, causative of cringan, crincan to yield, fall (in battle)

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : Cringe

Spanish:

encogerse (de miedo),

German:

sich ducken,

Japanese:

すくむ

View 30 other languages »

cringe (krĭnj) Pronunciation Key
intr.v. cringed, cring·ing, cring·es

To shrink back, as in fear; cower.
To behave in a servile way; fawn.

n. An act or instance of cringing.

[Middle English crengen, to bend haughtily, probably ultimately from Old English cringan, to give way.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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cringe

c.1225, from causative of O.E. cringan "give way, fall (in battle), become bent," from P.Gmc. *krank- "bend, curl up."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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cringe
verb
1.	draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: flinch]
2.	show submission or fear [syn: fawn]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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Cringe

Cringe\ (kr?nj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crnged (kr?njd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cringing.] [As. crincgang, cringan, crincan, to jield, fall; akin to E. crank.] 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.

When they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boys that went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the lions. --Bunyan.

Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou Once fawned and cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful monarch? --Milton.

Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing. --Arbuthnot.

Cringe

Cringe\, v. t. To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort. [Obs.]

Till like a boy you see him cringe his face, And whine aloud for mercy. --Shak.

Cringe

Cringe\, n. Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility. "With cringe and shrug, and bow obsequious." --Cowper.