Cringe
[krɪn(d)ʒ] or [krɪndʒ]
Definition
(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.
(v. t.) To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.
(n.) Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.
Typist: Lucinda
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. n. Crouch, fawn, truckle, sneak, stoop, bend the knee.
Inputed by Harvey
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Crouch, bend, bow, fawn, grabble, grub
ANT:Face, confront, defy, dare
Checker: Susie
Definition
v.i. to bend or crouch with servility: to submit: to fawn: to flatter with mean servility.—n. a servile obeisance.—ns. Cringe′ling Crin′ger one who cringes.—adv. Crin′gingly in an obsequious manner.
Typist: Perry
Examples
- There was a little brusque, turgid contempt for her in his swift gesture, and she seemed to cringe a little. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- It is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you thought little enough of this poor Horner in the dock for a crime of which he knew nothing. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- How they cringe and bow to that Creole, because of her hundred thousand pounds! William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- Gerald went about all day with a tendency to cringe, as if there were the point of a sword of Damocles pricking the nape of his neck. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- He may cringe and growl, or cringe and not growl; but he either beats or cringes. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- Then, what submission, what cringing and fawning, what servility, what abject humiliation! Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities.
- The foreigner came here poor, beggarly, cringing, and subservient, ready to doff his cap to the meanest native of the household. Walter Scott. Ivanhoe.
- The Epicurean was determined to make Humanity go its way without cringing to capricious gods and without sacrificing Free-Will. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- His bullying, overbearing manner was all gone too, and he cringed along at my companion's side like a dog with its master. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.
- He cringed and coaxed Rawdon at the club. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- Either beats or cringes, said Wemmick, not at all addressing himself to me. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- A fellow like our friend the Spider, answered Mr. Jaggers, either beats or cringes. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- He may cringe and growl, or cringe and not growl; but he either beats or cringes. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
Edited by Alison