Dictionary

cringeworthy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɹənd͡ʒˌwøːði/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈkɾɪnd͡ʒˌwøːði/ (Wales)
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌweːði/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌwəːðɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌwɜːði/ (Australia)
• /-ðɪ/ (Scotland)
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈkɾɪnd͡ʒˌwʌɾðe/ (Scotland)
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌwɜːvi/ England, th-fronting
• /-ði/ (Scotland)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌwɜːði/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkɹɪnd͡ʒˌwɝði/ (US)
• /ˈkɾɪnd͡ʒˌweːði/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger

Etymology

From cringe (verb) + -worthy (suffix meaning of ‘sufficient worth for, deserving of’), popularized by the surname of the character Cuthbert Cringeworthy, an extremely studious pupil introduced in 1972 into The Bash Street Kids, a comic strip by the Scottish cartoonist David Sutherland (1933–2023) published in the British magazine The Beano.

Meanings

1. (informal) That causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment (often vicarious embarrassment), etc.; awkward, disgusting, embarrassing.
   • These ads aren't as bad as some of the worst ads from previous years – let us not forget the gross GoDaddy commercials, or the Nationwide "Dead Kid" commercial of Super Bowls past – but they’re definitely the cringeworthiest of an already forgettable crop. 2017 February 5, Maura Judkis, Bethonie Butler, “The five worst Super Bowl commercials”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Feb 2017:
   • Lena Dunham's acclaimed show about the highs and lows – but mostly lows – of being young in the city ends its first season this week. We remember the cringe-worthiest moments we almost wish we didn't. 2012 June 15, Halle Kiefer, “The Ten Most Cringe-Worthy Moments on ‘Girls’”, in Rolling Stone, New York, N.Y.: Penske Media Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Jun 2025:
   • When most people think of cringe-worthy disco-era fashion, John Travolta’s breakout feature, Saturday Night Fever, comes to mind. But for even cringe-worthier disco styles, seek out Saturday Night Fever’s 1983 Sylvester Stallone–directed sequel, Staying Alive. In the follow-up, Travolta’s lovable, if cocky, dancer Tony Manero downgrades from his white disco suit to Grecian-style dancing briefs, cloth knee-high dancing boots, and enough body oil to warrant a “special thanks” in the credits. 2012 August 25, Julie Miller, “The 25 Least Fashionable Films of All Time”, in Graydon Carter, editor, Vanity Fair, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2015:
   • But the top goon's one-panel reform described by Robin on the last page was absolutely cringeworthy … especially since the author had so successfully built up his image as a first-rate shnook. 1967 November, Guy Lillian, “Letters to the Batcave”, in Batman, number 196, Sparta, Ill.: National Periodical Publications, →OCLC, column 2:
   • After asking followers for their own embarrassing experiences, the topic quickly went viral, with other fans tweeting their cringe-worthiest moments. 2018 November 15, Jessica Rach, “‘I told Daniel Radcliffe he looked like a wizard’: Twitter users share their most hilariously embarrassing celebrity encounters – including mistaking Ed Sheeran for a waiter”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Jun 2019:
   • The last word on words has spoken. Oxford Dictionaries chose "vape" as the word of the year. It was selected over cringeworthier choices such as "slacktivism" or "bae" – the latter a term of endearment that was a top contender for censorship in Time magazine's "Which Word Should Be Banned in 2015?" poll. 2014 November 18, Gail Sullivan, “Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year is ‘vape’”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Dec 2014:
   • It also presented a golden opportunity for Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to wear silly outfits and produce yet another cringeworthy video, which attracted sharp criticism online. 2022 May 4, Stefanie Foster, “Great British Rail Sale Failed!”, in Rail, number 956, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:

Forms

Deriveds

cringeworthily · cringeworthiness

Relateds

cringily · cringingly · cringey · cringiness · cringe · cringy

Synonyms

squirmworthy · cringey · winceworthy · cringe

Translations (38)

cmn 令人尷尬的 /令人尴尬的 (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · fi nolo (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · nb cringe (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · es que da alipori/grima (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · ja 痛い (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · da tåkrummende (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · hu ciki (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · nl tenenkrullend (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · ru стрёмный (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · fi myötähäpeää aiheuttava (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · hy քինջ (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · is kjánahrollur (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · fr embarrassant (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de blamabel (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · es de alipori/grima (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de peinlich (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de unangenehm (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · pl żenujący (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · it imbarazzante (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · eo hontiga (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · bg криндж (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · pl cringe'owy (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · nl tenenkrommend (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de zum In-den-Boden-Versinken (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · es para morir(se) de vergüenza (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · eo hontinda (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · fr malaisant (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de zum Fremdschämen (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · hu kínos (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · nb pinlig (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · fi kiusaannuttava (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · pl zawstydzający (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de beschämend (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · cs hrozně nepříjemný (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · ko 오글오글 (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · is pínlegur (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · az əttökən (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.) · de erschütternd (that causes or may cause one to cringe with disgust, embarrassment, etc.)

wikipedia: The Beano · wikipedia: The Bash Street Kids