adjective Internet Slang

Cringe

/krɪndʒ/ · adjective · slang

Embarrassing or awkward to the point of making you physically recoil.

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Definitions

1

Used as a one-word verdict on something embarrassing.

“You texted that? Cringe.”
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2

Describes content or behaviour that's secondhand-embarrassing to witness.

“The whole speech was a cringe compilation.”
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3

So awkward or try-hard that it makes you wince on someone's behalf.

“His attempt at the trend was pure cringe.”
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Cringe In A Sentence

That's cringe, delete it.
I cringe thinking about my old posts.
Big cringe, no notes.

Origin & Usage

From the verb cringe (to recoil), it became a Gen-Z catch-all adjective for embarrassing content, spreading widely through Reddit, YouTube cringe compilations, and TikTok in the 2010s.

Variants CringeyCringe compBig cringe
Tags #gen-z#meme#internet#pop

People Also Ask

What does cringe mean in slang?

Cringe means something so awkward or embarrassing it makes you physically recoil.

What does it mean to call something cringe?

It's a verdict that something is embarrassing, try-hard, or secondhand-awkward.

Is cringe an insult?

It can be — calling something or someone cringe is dismissive and mocking.

What does cringe mean on TikTok?

On TikTok cringe labels awkward or embarrassing content, often in reaction videos.

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