Thesaurus: cringe

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. t. 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.
2. v. t. To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.
3. n. Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.
4. n. some event or object that causes embarrassment and shame
5. n. A posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling.
6. v. draw back, as with fear or pain
7. v. show submission or fear
8. 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. 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. Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility. "With cringe and shrug, and bow obsequious." Cowper.
9. To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend orcrouch with base humility; to wince; hence; to make court in adegrading manner; to fawn.When they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boysthat went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid ofthe lions. Bunyan.Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou Once fawned and cringed, andservilely adored Heaven's awful monarch Milton.Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing. Arbuthnot.
10. v:100 v draw back, as with fear or pain v show submission or fear