Word: cringe Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English crengen (“to bend in a haughty manner; to condescend”) [and other forms], from Old English *crenġan, *crenċġan, *crenċan (“to cause to fall or turn”) from Proto-Germanic *krangijaną (“to cause to fall; to cause to turn”), causative of Proto-Germanic *kringaną, *krinkaną (“to fall; to turn; to yield”) (> Old English crin(c)gan (“to yield; to cringe; to fall; to die, perish”)), from Proto-Indo-European *grenǵʰ- (“to turn”)). The causative suffix is from *-janą (suffix forming causatives with the sense ‘to cause to do (the action of the verb)’ from strong verbs). The English word is cognate with Danish krænge (“to turn inside out, evert”), Dutch krengen (“to careen, veer”) and Dutch kring (“circle”), Scots crenge, creenge, creinge, crienge (“to cringe; to shrug”), Swedish kränga (“to careen; to heel, lurch; to toss”), and West Frisian kringe (“to pinch; to poke; to push; to insist, urge”); and is a doublet of crinkle. The noun and adjective are derived from the verb via zero derivation. Pronunciation: /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒ/, [ˈkʰɹʷɪnd͡ʒ] 1. To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear. Labels: intransitive Example: He cringed as the bird collided with the window. Example: [W]hen 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, ſo they ſtept back and went behind. 2. To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; (by extension) to feel very embarrassed. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: I'm cringing watching this easily Blizzard- or Square Enix-worthy new trailer for Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls Online. Not because it's bad — it's a deftly rendered slice of CGI. But it must have cost a fortune. It makes me want to say "Spend the money on knocking the game out of the park, please, not the frippery, Bethesda." But oh what frippery. 3. To bow or crouch in servility. Labels: intransitive Example: [I]f they keepe their wits, yet they are accompted fooles by reaſon of their carriage, becauſe they cannot ride a horſe, which euery Clowne can doe; ſalute and court a Gentlewoman, carue at table, cringe and make congies, which euery common ſwaſher can doe, [...] Example: And thou ſly hypocrite, who now wouldſt ſeem / Patron of liberty, who more then thou / Once fawn'd,and cring'd, and ſervilly ador'd / Heav'ns awful Monarch? 4. To act in an obsequious or servile manner. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: Here the beggar accoſts me; had I appeared as himſelf, he had aſked nothing: but now he uncovers, he cringeth, he cries for relief. Example: Their [the clergy's] chief business, during a quarter of a century, had been to teach the people to cringe and the prince to domineer. 5. To draw (a body part) close to the body; also, to distort or wrinkle (the face, etc.). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: [H]ow thriue you, howe periſh you, and they cringing in their neckes, like rattes, ſmothered in the holde, [...] Example: Whip him Fellowes, / Till like a Boy you ſee him crindge his face, / And whine aloud for mercy. 6. To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to escort (someone) in a cringing manner. Labels: obsolete, transitive