Cringe German: meaning of the Internet word explained

What does cringe mean? The English word has long since arrived in Germany in internet culture and is no longer used only in comment sections, but also sometimes in spoken vernacular.

Meaning of "cringe" simply explained

If you hear or read the word "cringe" and look it up in an English dictionary, you will quickly find out that it translates to "flinch" or "shudder". But what does that mean in context?

• "Cringe" can be compared to the German word "fremdschämmen".
• If someone is embarrassing, the viewer is sometimes so embarrassed that it runs ice cold down his back and he would like to sink into the ground.
• Many internet users comment on this with "cringe", "cringey" or "cringeworthy".
• The word is mainly used as a hashtag in tweets, as a YouTube comment and the like, but the word "cringe" has also spread in Germany in the spoken language.
• For example, if someone tries to be stubborn, young and hip, even though this doesn’t match their demeanor, they might hear: "Oh man, is that cringe ..."

In modern youth language there are some terms, the meaning of which is not immediately understandable. Read more practical tips on what lit, on fleek and af mean.