cringe

What it means

Describes something so awkward or embarrassing that it makes you physically recoil. It can be an adjective ('that's so cringe') or a noun ('the cringe is real'), often aimed at try-hard or secondhand-embarrassing behavior.

Examples

• His pickup line was so cringe I had to look away.
• Watching my old TikToks is pure cringe.
• That ad trying to use slang is honestly cringe.
• It's cringe how hard he's trying to fit in.

Where it comes from

From the verb 'to cringe' (to recoil in embarrassment), it became internet slang in the 2010s, fueled by 'cringe compilation' videos and subreddits dedicated to secondhand embarrassment.

Related slang