obciach
embarrassment, cringe, shameful situation
Pronunciation
/ˈɔpt͡ɕax/
Cultural Note
'Obciach' is the OG Polish word for cringe — it existed long before English 'cringe' was adopted. It comes from Romani ('o biyach' = shame/disgrace) and entered Polish street slang decades ago. It means a shameful, embarrassing situation or something that's uncool. 'To jest obciach' = that's embarrassing/lame. It's the native Polish equivalent of 'cringe' and older millennials and Gen X tend to use it more than the borrowed English word. Both 'cringe' and 'obciach' coexist in modern Polish, with 'obciach' feeling more authentically Polish and street.
📝 Example Sentences
Nie idź w tym na imprezę, to obciach.
Don't wear that to the party, it's embarrassing.
Ale obciach, pomachałam do kogoś, kto nie machał do mnie.
So embarrassing, I waved at someone who wasn't waving at me.