"Cringe" is a verb; "embarrassing" is an adjective. Someone who feels embarrassed might cringe, but people can cringe for other reasons, too. As nouns the difference between embarrassment and cringe is that embarrassment is a state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation while cringe is a posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling.

Embarrassment is more about emotions and feelings when you realise you have done something against social standards or something that you may consider inappropriate. I’d say it’s rather about reaction on your own behaviour. And cringe is more like a physical reaction on something that you consider out of your norm standard, and I’d say it’s about your reaction on someone else’s actions.

To feel embarrassed would be slightly more formal. Cringe for me is a worse feeling than being just embarrassed!!

As nouns the difference between embarrassed and cringe is that embarrassed is a state of discomfort arising from consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation while cringe is a posture or gesture of shrinking or recoiling. Something embarrassing can make you cringe. I can help you with such words and many more, feel free to contact me for a further discussion.

Embarrassed is when you do something that can put you in a uncomfortable situation, and normally it has happened in front of another person or people. It makes you feel embarrassed Cringe is a feeling you get after you see someone or something disgusting that makes you feel uncomfortable… it makes you cringe