The story
From cringe + -ometer (suffix forming the names of measuring devices), possibly modelled after odometer, speedometer, etc.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
cringeometer
cringe·o·met·erToday it means: An imaginary device that measures cringeworthiness (the extent to which something makes one cringe; that is, flinch or recoil with embarrassment). Full definition →