It is the dumbest word and the sooner its lost all meaning and power the better.

It's not a "dumb" word, there are no dumb words. The only thing dumb about the word "cringe" is the way people use it. I personally try to never use the word "cringe" to describe anything other than the physical reaction to certain stimuli, so I might say something "made me cringe" not "it's cringe"