cringe

 
Pronunciation: /krɪn(d)ʒ/

verb (cringes, cringing, cringed)

[no object]
  • bend one’s head and body in fear or apprehension or in a servile manner: he cringed away from the blow (as adjective cringing) we are surrounded by cringing yes-men and sycophants
  • experience an inward shiver of embarrassment or disgust: I cringed at the fellow’s stupidity

noun

  • an act of cringing.

Derivatives

cringer

noun

Origin:

Middle English crenge, crenche, related to Old English cringan, crincan 'bend, yield, fall in battle', of Germanic origin and related to Dutch krengen 'heel over' and German krank 'sick', also to crank1