cringen.adj.
/krɪn(d)ʒ/, U.S. /krɪndʒ/ A. n.
1. An act of cringing; esp. a servile or sycophantic bow. Also: (figurative) an obsequious, deferential, or sycophantic act or attitude.cultural cringe: see cultural adj. and n. Compounds.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > servility > [noun] > obsequious act
cringe1592
kowtow1834
the mind > emotion > humility > servility > [noun] > a servile obeisance
binge?a1500
cringe1592
bingeing1805
1592 ‘C. Cony-Catcher’ Def. Conny-catching sig. E The f[e]low curteously making a low cringe saide, may it please your woorship.
a1616 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God (1620) v. xxiv. 219 Puffed vp with..the cringes of their subiects.
1636 T. Heywood True Disc. Two Infamous Upstart Prophets 3 If he heare a strange Preacher, he at his comming down, as raptur'd with his Doctrine, salutes him with a cringe.
a1657 J. Balfour Hist. Wks. (1824) III. 140 After 3 severall low cringes, the Earle ascendit the throne.
1700 R. Pearson Naaman Vindicated 10 Nor could he hope, by a few external Cringes..to expiate for his notorious neglect.
1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 180. ⁋12 To purchase favour by cringes and compliance.
1811 La Belle Assemblée Dec. 327/2 The very hardness and rigour of his manner..served to display the insincerity of his cringe.
1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond I. i. 27 Performing cringes and congees like a Court-chamberlain.
1878 T. Hughes in Lett. to Victorian Editor (1929) ii. 52 Alternate fits of swagger and cringe.
1920 J. Masefield Enslaved 16 Then her captain came on deck, quick and hard, with snapping force, And a kind of cringe of terror stiffened down those banks of oars.
1945 Times 3 July 6/4 A commanding figure with something..of the cringe of the money lending oriental about him.
1993 Observer (Nexis) 5 Sept. 60 The ideological posture currently adopted..may best be described as a servile cringe. Their sole aim in life is to appease the Government.
2. colloquial. Acute embarrassment or awkwardness; (also) something that causes this.
ΚΠ
1984 Sunday Independent (Ireland) 5 Aug. 25/3 For a total cringe, BBC-2 has the Osmond Brothers... They now have put together a ‘sizzling new country music stage act’ which will either totally set you foaming at the mouth or make you consider again cancelling your TV licence.
2004 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 27 Oct. (First ed.) (A3 section) 2 He doesn't have to cringe about Australian fashion anymore... ‘When I left (Australia) in 1988, I was embarrassed about our fashion and style. It was total cringe for me.’
2019 @Katiew552 23 Sept. in twitter.com (accessed 19 Jan. 2022) Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than the awkward interviews on the red carpet. Oh the cringe. So much cringe.
B. adj.
colloquial. Causing feelings of acute embarrassment or awkwardness; that makes one cringe; cringeworthy.
ΚΠ
2001 Mirror 13 Apr. 39/4 I'd be frightened of having a row, then having to do a scene with him the next day. It would be so cringe.
2008 @wez 10 Oct. in twitter.com (accessed 22 Sept. 2021) [He] is not now, nor has he ever been funny. Seriously cringe dad comedy.
2016 Shout Jan. 21/1 The vlogger dances to a totally cringe music video of your fave song.
Compounds
cringe factor n. an element or aspect of a situation, event, etc., that causes a person to cringe with acute embarrassment or awkwardness.In quot. 1977 with punning reference to The Krypton Factor, the title of the U.K. television programme (first broadcast in September 1977).
ΚΠ
1977 C. James in Observer 11 Sept. 27/4 Each contestant did a humorous monologue. The Cringe Factor was dominant here.
1978 Circus June 42/2 Everyone was happy with the way it [sc. an album] came out. There was no ‘cringe factor’ involved.
1991 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 5 Nov. The only cringe factors of the night were video images of peace, love and happiness during..a song dedicated to her son. It was a bit over the top.
2011 J. Hoxter Write what you don't Know iv. 120 Record yourself and play it back more than once (so you get over the cringe factor of hearing your own voice).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
cringev.
/krɪn(d)ʒ/, U.S. /krɪndʒ/α. Middle English crenge, 1500s– cringe, 1600s chringe, 1600s crindge, 1600s cring, 1600s crynge; Scottish pre-1700 crenge, 1800s– creenge, 1900s– creinge, 1900s– crienge.
β. Middle English crenche, 1500s crintch, 1600s–1700s (1800s English regional (northern)) crinch.
1.
a. intransitive. To contract the muscles of the body, usually involuntarily; to shrink into a bent or crooked position; to cower. Also (of a part of the body): to flinch; to contract. †to cringe with (the) swire: to arch the neck, esp. haughtily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > structural parts > muscle > [verb (intransitive)] > muscular movement
to cringe with (the) swirec1225
unthong1829
fibrillate1910
flex1985
the mind > emotion > fear > physical symptoms of fear > exhibit physical symptoms [verb (intransitive)] > cower or flinch
wondec897
shuna1000
blencha1250
cowerc1300
scunnerc1425
cringea1525
to play couch-quaila1529
quail1544
winch1605
dwindle1612
blank1642
shy1650
scringec1700
funk?1746
flinch1883
curl1913
c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Bodl.) (1934) 22 (MED) He [sc. the dragon] strahte him..ant bigon to crahien & crenge [c1225 Royal crenchen] wið swire, as þe þe hire walde forswolhe.
c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 102 Þe teoheðe is Contentio. þet is strif to..heo meistre of þe mot. & crenge [c1390 Vernon crenche] ase champiun þe haueð biȝete þe place... Þe ealleofte hwelp is ifed..wið semblanz & wið sines. as beoren on heh þet heaued. crenge wið swire. lokin o siden.
a1400 Ancrene Riwle (Pepys) (1976) 92 Semblaunce is anoþer whelp [of Pride], þat is wiþ signes..crenge wiþ þe swire.
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 956 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 125 He crepillit he crengit he carfully cryd.
1684 J. Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress 2nd Pt. ii. 69 The Boys that went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the Lions. View more context for this quotation
1719 in T. D'Urfey Wit & Mirth IV. 125 We have no twinge to make us cringe Or crinkle in the Hams.
c1750 J. Nelson Jrnl. (1836) 4 The words made me cringe, and my flesh seemed to creep on my bones.
1804 tr. F. Schlabrendorf Bonaparte 6 Other boys cringed for fear of being flogged.
1861 G. F. Berkeley Eng. Sportsman vii. 101 The last two cows had to ‘cringe’ or tuck in their tails and haunches to avoid the ‘catcher’.
1935 J. Steinbeck Tortilla Flat xii. 215 The dogs cringed to the ground and whined piteously.
1974 E. L. Doctorow Ragtime (1976) viii. 53 Evelyn was squirming and her flesh cringing with each application.
2003 R. Newman Fountain at Centre of World 249 A whizz-bang explodes in the air behind him. Daniel screams, cringes and runs.
b. intransitive. figurative. To experience an involuntary inward shiver of embarrassment, awkwardness, disgust, etc.; to wince or shrink inwardly; (hence) to feel extremely embarrassed or uncomfortable. Frequently with at.
ΚΠ
1868 Harper's Mag. May 793/1 ‘I should like a smoke,’ was her only comment. I may have cringed at the idea of putting my pipe between those broken teeth, but I of course made haste to do what was hospitable.
1918 W. M. Kirkland Joys of being Woman ix. 98 No woman was ever so proud as not to cringe in an ugly hat... For women self-respect is soonest secured by clothes.
1961 D. Hitchens Forest in Night xvi. 162 Though his inner thoughts cringed at it, he forced himself to think back.
1974 Audubon Jan. 120/2 They cannot even understand why conservationists cringe upon hearing hardwood trees, the noble oaks and elms of poetry, referred to as ‘weed trees’.
1993 Time 25 Jan. 18 Privately, Clinton advisers cringed at the wreckage left behind by all the U-turns.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > posture > act of drawing body into compact form > drawn into compact form [verb (transitive)] > specific part of body
cringe1594
scrooch1958
the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > face > face with expression or expression > face with expression [verb (transitive)] > distort
wringa1300
fleer?a1400
writhec1425
cringe1594
screw1601
scringe1608
grin1681
to screw up1692
prim1707
frown1775
wring1806
wreathe1813
squinch1840
1594 T. Nashe Vnfortunate Traveller sig. L4 v It makes him to kisse his hand like an ape, cringe his neck like a starueling.
1597 ‘R. Lichfield’ Trimming of T. Nashe sig. B What makes you sit downe so tenderly? you crintch in your buttocks like old father Pater patriæ.
1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 73 They cringing in their neckes, like rattes, smothered in the holde, poorely replicated.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iii. xiii. 100 Whip him Fellowes, Till like a Boy you see him crindge his face, And whine aloud for mercy. View more context for this quotation
1678 J. Browne Compl. Disc. Wounds 283 Hereby the flux of blood is stopt by cringing the mouth of the Vessel and at its ends procuring an Eschar or crust.
3.
a. intransitive. To bend the body in a timorous or servile manner; to bow obsequiously or sycophantically. Also with to.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > servility > be servile [verb (intransitive)] > physically
crouch1528
to kiss (a person's) shoec1535
binge1562
cringec1604
to crinkle in the hams1607
the world > space > relative position > posture > action of crouching or squatting > crouch or squat [verb (intransitive)] > in fear or servitude
cringec1604
c1604 Charlemagne (1938) 47 He..dothe not fawne, nor crautche, nor crynge, nor startche hys countenance.
1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy i. ii. iii. xv. 170 They cannot..carue at table, cringe and make congies.
1647 H. More Philos. Poems i.i. lxiii Thus cring'd he toward th' East.
c1680 W. Beveridge Serm. (1729) I. 48 An opinion that to bow or cringe (as they profanely call it) before Almighty God is superstition.
1747 S. Richardson Clarissa II. xxxi. 180 Mr. Solmes approached me as soon as I entered, cringing to the ground.
1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) vi. 166 He bowed and cringed out at the door, and pulled it to after him.
1806 G. Ogg Admonition 112 We have declared it treason To cringe to man, whate'er the reason.
1853 T. T. Lynch Lect. Self-improvem. v. 123 You should bow to most people, but cringe to nobody.
1956 S. Beckett Malone Dies 24 At an age when most people cringe and cower, as if to apologize for still being present, Lambert was feared.
2005 Daily Mail (Nexis) 19 Nov. 59 Impoverished locals cringe outside hoping to cadge enough to feed their children.
b. intransitive. figurative. To behave obsequiously or submissively; to show servile deference to a person.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > servility > be servile [verb (intransitive)]
fawnc1325
crouch1528
jouk1573
crawl1576
creep1581
spaniel1599
grovel1605
spanielize1641
cringec1660
to lick the ground1667
truckle1680
to kiss (a person's) arse, behind, bum1705
toad-eat1766
snool1786
to eat (any one's) toads1788
kowtow1826
sidle1828
toady1861
to knock head1876
ass-lick1937
c1660 A. Wood Life (1891) I. 359 The most ready men to cring to and serve these times.
?1695 ‘H.A.’ Court Convert 19 Cringing to those that from all virtue run.
1713 C. Shadwell Humours of Army i. 13 I have seen 'em crinch and palaver like a Whore to a Cully, Sir.
1759 S. Fielding Hist. Countess of Dellwyn II. iv. xii. 282 He was a true poetical Proteus, turned and twisted himself into various Forms, bullied and cringed, boasted and flattered.
1802 J. Wood Hist. Admin. John Adams vi. 183 He can threaten or cringe to his opponents as circumstances require.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 105 Their chief business..had been to teach the people to cringe and the prince to domineer.
1901 E. Gillat-Smith Story of Bruges xx. 244 They erected triumphal arches..and strewed flowers along his path... Thus did these worthy merchants cringe.
1949 Times 27 Jan. 6/4 There was a type of man who, when he felt weak, cringed, but who, when he felt strong, bullied.
2008 Racing Post (Nexis) 10 Feb. 17 The policy so far has been to cringe before the disapproving majority.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > respect > [verb (transitive)] > show respect for > bow or curtsey to
lout971
abowOE
aloutc1390
obeishc1400
curtsy1566
cringe1609
leg1628
salaam1684
wreathe1730
bob1847
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > respect > [verb (transitive)] > show respect for > bow or curtsey to > usher in or out by bowing
cringe1822
bow1833
1609 W. M. Man in Moone sig. C3v Your Tradesmen, which now cappe and cringe you.
1660 H. More Explan. Grand Myst. Godliness v. xiv. 169 Cringing and courting..not only Christ, but the blessed Virgin.
1700 T. D'Urfey Famous Hist. Rise & Fall Massaniello i. iii. i. 26 You may Cringe and Compliment Kings and Keyzars, if you please.
1822 Ld. Byron Werner i. i. 441 Hence, and bow and cringe him here!
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.adj.1592
v.c1225