cringe

/krɪndʒ/

cringe

BrE /krɪndʒ/

NAmE /krɪndʒ/

[I]

to move back and/or away from sb because you are afraid

SYN cower

a child cringing in terror

[I]

to feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable about sth

I cringe when I think of the poems I wrote then.