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| cringe [ krinj ] |
intransitive verb (past and past participle cringed, present participle cring·ing, 3rd person present singular cring·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. crouch or move back suddenly: to pull the head and body quickly away from somebody or something in a frightened or servile way
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2. be embarrassed or uncomfortable: to react to something with embarrassment or discomfort, often by physically flinching
(
informal
)
  We always cringe at his jokes.
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3. act humbly: to behave in a very humble or servile way
(
disapproving
)
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noun (plural cring·es) |
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| Definition: |
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frightened or servile movement: a quick pulling away of the head and body from somebody or something in a frightened or servile way
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| [13th century. Probably < Old English crincan "to yield"] |
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| cring·er noun |
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