cringe
To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fearTo cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.
» I cringe just thinking about it.
Я съеживаюсь только от одной мысли об этом.
Мене коробить лише від однієї думки про це.
Meaning
6 senses(intransitive)To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.
He cringed as the bird collided with the window.
zusammenzucken
отпря́нутьotprjánutʹ, содрогну́тьсяsodrognútʹsja, съёживатьсяsʺjóživatʹsja
(figuratively, intransitive)To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; (by extension) to feel very embarrassed.
съёживатьсяsʺjóživatʹsja, съёжитьсяsʺjóžitʹsja
(intransitive)To bow or crouch in servility.
(figuratively, intransitive)To act in an obsequious or servile manner.
(obsolete, transitive)To draw (a body part) close to the body; also, to distort or wrinkle (the face, etc.).
(obsolete, transitive)To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to escort (someone) in a cringing manner.
- draw back, as with fear or pain
- show submission or fear
Examples
43 sentencesI cringe just thinking about it.
Мене коробить лише від однієї думки про це.
ruЯ съеживаюсь только от одной мысли об этом.
I cringe every time I think about Tom.
ruЯ испытываю отвращение каждый раз, когда я думаю о Томе.
Tom cringed when he saw Mary walk into the room.
Tom cringed a little.
Tom cringed in pain.
ruТом съёжился от боли.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
The verb is derived from Middle English crengen (“to bend in a haughty manner; to condesceThe 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.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
cringes, cringing, cringed, cringedSynonyms
12 synonymsWord family
19 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle