Cringe

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Cringe, v. t. [As. crincgan, cringan, crincan, to jield, fall; akin to E. crank.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]
"When they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boys that went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the lions."  [1913 Webster]
"Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou
Once fawned and cringed, and servilely adored
Heaven's awful monarch?"  [1913 Webster]
"Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing."  [1913 Webster]

Cringe, v. t. 

 To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.  [1913 Webster]
"Till like a boy you see him cringe his face,
And whine aloud for mercy."  [1913 Webster]

Cringe, n. 

 Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.  Cowper.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Cringe, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 shrink back in fear or apprehension; cower.
2 (often foll. by to) behave obsequiously.
--n. the act or an instance of cringing.

Derivative

cringer n.

Etymology

ME crenge, crenche, OE cringan, crincan: see CRANK(1)

THESAURUS

Cringe

apple-polish, avoid, bend, bend the knee, bend the neck, bend to, blench, blink, bootlick, bow, bow and scrape, bow down, bow to, brown-nose, cower, crawl, creep, cringe to, croodle, crouch, crouch before, curtsy, defer, do homage, do obeisance, dodge, draw back, draw in, duck, eat dirt, evade, fade, fall back, fawn, flatter, flinch, funk, genuflect, get down, grovel, hang back, hunch, hunch down, jib, kneel, kneel to, knuckle to, kowtow, lick the dust, lickspittle, pull back, pull in, pull out, quail, quiver, recoil, reel back, retract, retreat, scrouch down, sheer off, shrink, shrink back, shy, sidestep, skulk, slaver, slink, sneak, squat, start aside, start back, stoop, swerve, toadeat, toady, tremble, truckle, truckle to, turn aside, wallow, weasel, weasel out, welter, wince, withdraw

ROGET THESAURUS

Cringe

Servility

VB cringe, bow, stoop, kneel, bend the knee, fall on one's knees, prostrate oneself, worship, sneak, crawl, crouch, cower, sponge, truckle to, grovel, fawn, lick the feet of, kiss the hem of one's garment, kiss one's ass, suck up, pay court to, feed on, fatten on, dance attendance on, pin oneself upon, hang on the sleeve of, avaler les couleuvres, keep time to, fetch and carry, do the dirty work of, go with the stream, worship the rising sun, hold with the hare and run with the hounds.