So embarrassing that your whole body reacts — the picture in the word is your toes bending up tight inside your shoes. You use it about something you watch or hear, not usually about how you yourself feel: a bad speech, a joke that no one laughs at, a singer who cannot sing, a parent dancing at a wedding.

So embarrassing尷尬到 that你 your whole body reacts整個身體都有反應 — the picture in the word這個字裡的畫面 is是 your toes你的腳趾 bending up tight在鞋子裡緊緊蜷起來 inside your shoes You你 use it about用來形容 something you watch or hear你看到或聽到的事 not usually而不是通常用來形容 about how you yourself feel你自己的感受 a bad speech一場很糟的演講 a joke that no one laughs at一個沒人笑的笑話 a singer who cannot sing一個不會唱歌的歌手 a parent dancing at a wedding一個在婚禮上跳舞的家長

The key point is that the embarrassment is often not yours. You feel it for the other person, and that is worse.

The key point重點是 is that the embarrassment這個尷尬 is often通常 not yours不是你自己的 You你 feel it for the other person是替另一個人感到尷尬 and而 that這樣 is worse反而更難受

English has a whole family of words for this — cringeworthy, excruciating, painful (in this sense), and now simply 'cringe' among young people — and 'toe-curling' sits comfortably among them. It is informal but not rude, and adults use it freely in newspapers and reviews. It is more common in British English than American.

English英文 has a whole family of words有一整組同類的字 for this用在這種情況 — cringeworthy, excruciating, painful (in this sense)cringeworthy、excruciating、painful(這個意思下) and而現在 now simply 'cringe'年輕人之間 among young people就直接說「cringe」 — and而 'toe-curling'「toe-curling」 sits comfortably among them也自然地屬於這一群 It它 is informal but not rude是非正式但不粗俗的字 and而 adults成年人 use it freely自由地使用它 in newspapers and reviews在報紙和評論裡 It它 is more common更常見 in British English在英式英文裡 than American比在美式英文裡

You will see it before a noun most of the time: a toe-curling moment, toe-curling embarrassment, toe-curlingly bad.

You你 will see it before a noun most of the time大部分時候會看到它放在名詞前面 a toe-curling moment一個toe-curling的時刻 toe-curling embarrassment toe-curling的尷尬 toe-curlingly bad糟到toe-curlingly的程度

One more thing: 'toe-curling' can also describe pleasure so intense that your body reacts the same way, especially about sex — 'a toe-curling kiss'. The physical reaction is identical; only the cause changes. Context always makes it clear which one is meant, but knowing about the second use will save you from a misunderstanding one day.

One more thing還有一件事 'toe-curling'「toe-curling」 can also describe也可以形容 pleasure so intense強烈到某種程度的快感 that your body reacts the same way讓你的身體有一樣的反應 especially about sex尤其跟性有關的時候 — 'a toe-curling kiss'.「a toe-curling kiss」 The physical reaction身體上的反應 is identical是一模一樣的 only只是 the cause changes原因不同 Context上下文 always makes it clear總是能讓人清楚 which one is meant是哪一個意思 but但 knowing about the second use知道有第二種用法 will save you from a misunderstanding one day有一天能讓你避免誤會