Cringing

Cringing
Cringe Cringe (kr[i^]nj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cringed} (kr[i^]njd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cringing}.] [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. --Bunyan. [1913 Webster]

Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou Once fawned and cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful monarch? --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing. --Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • cringing — index obsequious, subservient Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • cringing — cring|ing [ krındʒıŋ ] adjective a cringing person always obeys people or agrees with them in a way that does not seem sincere. This word shows that you do not respect people like this …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • cringing — cring·ing || krɪndʒɪŋ n. crouching or bending in fear or servility; act of cringing krɪndÊ’ v. flinch, shrink back, recoil (in surprise or fright); grovel …   English contemporary dictionary

  • cringing — UK [ˈkrɪndʒɪŋ] / US adjective showing disapproval a cringing person always obeys people or agrees with them in a way that does not seem sincere …   English dictionary

  • cringing — (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. servile, crouching, submissive; see cowardly 1 , 3 , obsequious …   English dictionary for students

  • cringing — a. Crouching, fawning, servile, sneaking, obsequious …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • cringing — adj 1. cowering, shrinking, quailing, blenching, flinching, wincing, starting, recoiling, shying, Inf. funking, Sl. mooching; shaking, trembling, quivering, Inf. shaking in one s boots or shoes. 2. servile, slavish, obsequious, Obs. obsequent,… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

  • cringing — adjective totally submissive • Syn: ↑groveling, ↑grovelling, ↑wormlike, ↑wormy • Similar to: ↑submissive …   Useful english dictionary

  • obsequious — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. abject, fawning, sycophantic, cringing, servile, truckling, compliant. See servility, respect. Ant., dominant. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. docile, submissive, cringing, slavish, sycophantic,… …   English dictionary for students

  • subservient — 1 *auxiliary, subsidiary, contributory, ancillary, adjuvant, accessory Analogous words: *subordinate, secondary, dependent, subject 2 Subservient, servile, slavish, menial, obsequious can mean showing or characterized by extreme compliance or… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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