What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Clingy vs Cringe - What's the difference?

clingy | cringe |

As an adjective clingy

is having a tendency to cling.

As a noun cringe is

a posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling.

As a verb cringe is

(dated|intransitive) to bow or crouch in servility.

clingy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Having a tendency to cling.
  • a clingy minidress
  • (informal, usually, derogatory) Pathetically possessive of someone, usually a significant other.
  • a clingy ex-girlfriend who won't stop calling

    Synonyms

    *

    Anagrams

    *

    cringe

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (dialectal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling.
  • He glanced with a cringe at the mess on his desk.
  • (dialect) A crick.
  • Verb

  • (dated) To bow or crouch in servility.
  • * Milton
  • Sly hypocrite, who more than thou / Once fawned and cringed , and servilely adored / Heaven's awful monarch?
  • * 1903 , ,
  • He heard the hateful clank of their chains; he felt them cringe and grovel, and there rose within him a protest and a prophecy.
  • * 1904 , ,
  • Leclere was bent on the coming of the day when Batard should wilt in spirit and cringe and whimper at his feet.
  • To shrink, tense or recoil, as in fear, disgust or embarrassment.
  • He cringed as the bird collided with the window.
  • * Bunyan
  • 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.
  • * 1917 , ,
  • But he made no whimper. Nor did he wince or cringe to the blows. He bored straight in, striving, without avoiding a blow, to beat and meet the blow with his teeth.
  • (obsolete) To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Till like a boy you see him cringe his face, / And whine aloud for mercy.

    Derived terms

    * cringeworthy

    See also

    * crouch * wince

    Anagrams

    *