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, subservient, menial, Obs., Rare. vernile; submissive, docile, unassertive, compliant, acquiescent, deferential, tractable, mealy-mouthed, Tomish, Uncle Tom-ish; prostrate, obeisant, on one's knees, lying prone, lying low, prostrating oneself, throwing oneself at the feet of; kneeling, on one's knees, falling on one's knees; kowtowing, bowing, bowing before, bowing and scraping, bending, bending before, stooping, squatting, crouching, slouching, hunching; groveling, crawling, creeping, slithering, sneaking, worming.

3. sycophantic, sycophantical, sycophantish, toady-ish, toadying, flattering, fawning, truckling, wheedling, slavering, puffing, puffing-up; courting, paying court to, currying favor, timeserving, keeping time to, dancing attendance upon, being at one's beck and call, Sl. bootlicking, Sl. footlicking, Inf. apple-polishing, Sl. brown-nosing, Obs. blanding, Obs., Rare. blan-diloquous, Rare. blandiloquent.