What Does This Mean?
Spanish internet phrase for the discomfort of watching someone else do something awkward or embarrassing; it combines the English loanword "cringe" with "ajeno" (someone else's) and is close to the standard Spanish "vergüenza ajena". It is used of videos, posts, speeches or social situations.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
""Ver ese discurso de boda me dio tanto cringe ajeno que quité el sonido," she said."
LORE & ORIGIN
Uno TV explains that "cringe" comes from English and on social media and TikTok describes feeling embarrassed by other users' content, and notes that FundéuRAE suggests "vergüenza ajena" as the Spanish equivalent; that article does not use the compound "cringe ajeno" itself. The compound is a recent Spanish-internet formation; no dated first use found yet.
MENTIONS OVER TIME
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