105+ Cringeworthy Things to Say (Plus "Try Not to Cringe" Challenge Rules)

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Content creator Tobi Nwodo's cringiest words and phrases

Co-authored by Tobi Nwodo and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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Cringe Things to Say to Your Friends

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Boyfriends

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Girlfriends

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Boys

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Girls

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Colleagues

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Playing the “Try Not to Cringe” Challenge

Some things are best left unsaid, but if your goal is to make people cringe (and laugh), this article is for you! Keep reading for our list of the cringiest things you can say, whether you’re chatting with your friend, partner, crush, or colleague. We’ll also explain how to play the “How Not to Cringe” challenge that’s taking over the internet.

The Cringiest Things to Say to Someone

Content creator Tobi Nwodo says these are the cringiest things you can say to people:

“ALL the huzz want me.”
“They need to nerf Duke, Marlon, AND me.”
“What is diddyblud doing on the calculator?”
“Stage 1, the crashout stage.”
“I’m the biggest bird.”

Section 1 of 7:

Cringe Things to Say to Your Friends

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True friends will love and accept you for who you are… but if you say any of the lines below, it might have them questioning their decision to be friends with you. Feel free to incorporate brain rot terms, like “sigma, alpha, looksmaxxing, Ohio, rizz, gyat, gunning, and skibidi,” says Nwodo.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Tobi Nwodo
Content Creator

Expert Interview} Here are the cringiest lines, packed with Gen Alpha slang for extra laughs:
- “What in the skibidi is going on here?”
- “ALL the huzz want me.”
- “My whole life is a lie.”
- “I’m telling MY truth.”
- “Boing boing.”
- “I give zero f*cks.”
- “Cash me outside, how ‘bout dat?!”
- “That’s so fetch!”
- “Sweat is just fat crying.”
- “I was born in the wrong generation.”
- “I’m not racist, but…”
- “Hustle for that muscle.”
- “I smell success!”
- “You probably wouldn’t get it, but…”
- “I listen to everything but country.”
- “People know not to f*ck with me.”
- “They need to nerf Duke, Marlon, AND me.”
- “What is diddyblud doing on the calculator?”
- “Stage 1, the crashout stage.”
- “I don’t even own a TV.”
- “I’m the biggest bird.”
- “I hate the internet.”
- “Aw man, are you cereal?”
- “Oh my God. How do you still have an Android?!”
- “It’s 2025. Who uses email anymore?”
- “You really don’t want to mess with me.”
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Tobi Nwodo is an LA-based influencer and content creator. Tobi first got his start making videos about gaming and Fortnite, and later transitioned into commenting on internet culture, memes, trends, and slang.

Section 2 of 7:

Cringe Things to Say to Your Boyfriend

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Test the limits of your boyfriend’s love by calling him a cringey pet name, dropping a cheesy pick-up line, or simply saying “UwU.” It’s sure to make him do a double-take and question your intentions:
- “I love you, pookie.”
- “I wuv you so much it hurts.”
- “UwU. 🥺👉👈”
- “You’re my cuddle muffin.”
- “You’re my little man snack… I just wanna eat you up!”
- “Babe, you’re so adorakable.”
- “Come here… I gotta recharge on boyfriend energy!”
- “You make my heart melon-melon-MELT!”
- “How are you, babycakes?”
- “You’re the peanut butter to my jelly.”
- “Sometimes I look at you and think, ‘Wow. He’s lucky.’”
- “Boy, you must be a gardener cause I love those two-lips. 🌷”
- “I wish I could shrink you so I could carry you around everywhere.”
- “You’re my favorite person, like, ever. I would even share my last slice of pizza with you.”
- “Can you hold my hand? My fingers are bored.”

Section 3 of 7:

Cringe Things to Say to Your Girlfriend

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If you want to spice up your relationship and confuse your girlfriend, try any of the cringey lines below. They incorporate slang, pick-up lines, and anime references, which will sound extra cringey if you’re not the affectionate type.
- “I wish we lived in the 1960s.”
- “I’m in love with you, my waifu.”
- “Can I boop your nose? Pwetty pleaseeee. 🥺”
- “You look way better without any makeup on.”
- “Guess what’s on the menu? Me-n-u. 😜”
- “You’re my little marshmallow fluff.”
- “Can I call you my little oxygen molecule?”
- “Who has the world’s best boyfriend? You do!”
- “My love for you is like diarrhea… I just can’t hold it in.”
- “If being cute was a crime, you’d be serving a life sentence!”
- “You shouldn’t wear makeup. It’s messing with perfection.”
- “I love how you take less time to get ready than other girls.”
- “If you were a vegetable, you’d be a cute-cumber.”
- “I wanted to send you something nice, but the mailman told me to get out of the mailbox.”
- “How’s my snuggleduck doing today?”

Section 4 of 7:

Cringe Things Girls Say to Boys

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If you want a guy to like you, don’t use any of the following lines. They’re overused, annoying, and will make you sound like a pick-me girl. If you want to put him in the friend zone, on the other hand, they’re all yours:
- “Ugh, I’m such a geek.”
- “I’m not like other girls.”
- “You’re SO tall. Can I climb you?”
- “I’m just a classy person.”
- “Your face card is insaneeeeee.”
- “I’m just soooo skinny.”
- “If I were a worm, would you date me?”
- “Are we giving ‘friends to lovers’ or ‘enemies to lovers’?”
- “I would totally let you ruin my life.”
- “Your hands? Yeah… Hand ‘em over, cowboy!”
- “I have super nerdy interests.”
- “Can I borrow your hoodie? No promises on returning it, though!”
- “Where’s the invite?”
- “I only date high-value men.”
- “Do you miss me or do you miss me?”
- “I wuv your personality.”
- “Your voice is like warm chicken nuggets… but for my ears.”
- “Girls are drama. That’s why I prefer hanging out with guys.”

Section 5 of 7:

Cringe Things Boys Say to Girls

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Trying to impress a girl? Stop reading… and avoid using any of the lines below. They’re reminiscent of the worst male archetypes on social media, whether it’s the toxic alpha male or the performative male:
- “I’m more of a whiskey guy myself.”
- “Just call me the Rizzard of Oz.”
- “Go to bed.”
- “I’m a high-value man.”
- “Where’s my hug?”
- “Friend-zoned again.”
- “I would drink your bathwater.”
- “Hey bb gurl.”
- “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”
- “Nice guys finish last.”
- “I’m a lone wolf, I walk my own path.”
- “I’m sowwy. 🥺”
- “Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only 10 I see.”
- “Fitness is the most important part of my life.”
- “I’m a nice guy.”
- “The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club.”
- “American Psycho is the greatest movie of all time.”
- “Oh my God! You’ve never seen The Godfather?!”

Section 6 of 7:

Cringe Things to Say to Colleagues

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Overloading on business buzzwords and corporate jargon, like “synergy,” “low-hanging fruit,” or “boil the ocean,” is guaranteed to make your colleagues cringe. Here are some of the most awkward things you can say in the office:^{[2]
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Research source}
- “Let’s circle back.”
- “It’s Fri-yay!”
- “We need to stop trying to boil the ocean with this project.”
- “Take it to the next level.”
- “TGIF!”
- “Get the look and feel of this layout.”
- “I have an ask…”
- “We need to impact this.”
- “We’re seeing great synergy between our sales and marketing teams.”
- “We’re all in this together!”
- “Kick that can down the road.”
- “Drinking from a firehose.”
- “Let’s unpack that.”
- “We’re giving you back 10 minutes.” (when a meeting ends early)
- “Let’s take this discussion offline.”
- “Hope the grass is greener on your end.”
- “We’re a family.”
- “We’re really hoping to bucket those issues together.”

Section 7 of 7:

How to Play the “Try Not to Cringe” Challenge

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Turn on a “Try Not to Cringe” video and avoid making a facial expression. Watch a video of people intentionally being awkward, embarrassing, or cringeworthy, and try not to cringe or make any facial expression. If you react in any way, whether it’s furrowing your brow, crinkling your forehead, or smiling, you lose!
- You can easily find "Try Not to Cringe" compilation videos by simply searching the phrase on YouTube, TikTok, or Google, but be forewarned, some of the content runs mature...and all of the content runs extremely cringey.
- Alternatively, participate in the challenge by trying to make other players laugh or cringe. You can say embarrassing lines or make weird faces, like this video from @kallmekris.