Cringe vs. Flinch — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Cringe and Flinch
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Compare with Definitions
Cringe
To shrink back, as in fear; cower.
Flinch
To start or wince involuntarily, as from surprise or pain.
Cringe
To behave in a servile way; fawn.
Flinch
To recoil, as from something unpleasant or difficult; shrink.
Cringe
An act or instance of cringing.
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Flinch
An act or instance of starting, wincing, or recoiling.
Cringe
(intransitive) To cower, flinch, recoil, shrink, or tense, as in disgust, embarrassment, or fear.
He cringed as the bird collided with the window.
Flinch
A reflexive jerking away.
My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.
Cringe
To experience an inward feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or fear; (by extension) to feel very embarrassed.
Flinch
(croquet) The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
Cringe
(intransitive) To bow or crouch in servility.
Flinch
(intransitive) To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe.
Cringe
To act in an obsequious or servile manner.
Flinch
To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
Cringe
To draw (a body part) close to the body; also, to distort or wrinkle (the face, etc.).
Flinch
(croquet) To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
Cringe
To bow or crouch to (someone) in servility; to escort (someone) in a cringing manner.
Flinch
To withdraw from any suffering or undertaking, from pain or danger; to fail in doing or perserving; to show signs of yielding or of suffering; to shrink; to wince; as, one of the parties flinched from the combat.
A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or complaining.
Cringe
(countable) A gesture or posture of cringing (recoiling or shrinking).
He glanced with a cringe at the mess on his desk.
Flinch
To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
Cringe
An act or disposition of servile obeisance.
Flinch
The act of flinching.
Cringe
A part]] of the body.
Flinch
A reflex response to sudden pain
Cringe
Awkwardness or embarrassment which causes an onlooker to cringe; cringeworthiness.
There was so much cringe in that episode!
Flinch
Draw back, as with fear or pain;
She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf
Cringe
(slang) Inducing awkwardness, embarrassment, or secondhand embarrassment; cringemaking, cringeworthy, cringy.
Cringe
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.
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.
Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thouOnce fawned and cringed, and servilely adoredHeaven's awful monarch?
Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing.
Cringe
To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.
Till like a boy you see him cringe his face,And whine aloud for mercy.
Cringe
Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.
Cringe
Draw back, as with fear or pain;
She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf
Cringe
Show submission or fear
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