cringe
Word family nouncringelingcringingadverbcringinglyverbcringe
cringe /krɪndʒ/ verb [intransitiveI] 1 FRIGHTENEDto move away from someone or something because you are afraid 畏缩,退缩 A stray dog was cringing by the door. 一条流浪狗畏缩在门旁。
She cringed away from him. 她退缩着躲开他。
2 EMBARRASSEDto feel embarrassed by something you have said or done because you think it makes you seem silly 感到难堪 → wincecringe at She cringed at the sound of her own voice. 她听到自己的声音很不好意思。
It makes me cringe when I think how stupid I was. 我想到自己的愚蠢就感到尴尬。
Origin cringe (1200-1300) Perhaps from Old English cringan “to give up”