‘I hate that word’: Miley Cyrus says one word about her engagement makes her cringe

Miley Cyrus has opened up about her engagement in a refreshingly honest way, admitting that one particular word linked to it makes her feel deeply uncomfortable.

The 33-year-old pop star spoke candidly during awards week while attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards, where she was honoured with the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award. While celebrating her career, the conversation briefly turned to her personal life and her engagement to musician Maxx Morando.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cyrus admitted she still struggles with the language that comes with being engaged. Asked about Morando, she laughed before saying, “Oh, I get so cringed. I’m like, Oh, I get so cringed out. I’m kinda dorkiest with stuff like that.”

Despite her discomfort with labels, Cyrus said the engagement itself feels right. She described it as arriving at the “perfect time” in her life, both personally and creatively.

“To be able to show up joyful and experiencing love in my own way is just perfectly aligned,” she said, linking her relationship to her current work, including her involvement with Avatar Fire and Ash.

Cyrus has been careful to keep details of her engagement largely private. She and Morando, who is the drummer for the band Liily, quietly became engaged in December 2025. The couple first went public with their relationship back in late 2021, but have since chosen a more low-key approach compared to Cyrus’s past high-profile romances.

Speaking separately to People, Cyrus said maintaining privacy has been unexpectedly positive for her. “The detail that I can share is that for us, our privacy and us kind of keeping it small has been something that I’ve been astounded that I’ve actually been able to have,” she explained.

She added that age and experience have changed how much of herself she is willing to share publicly. “I think it’s also being older, being more protective of what I’m open to sharing,” she said, suggesting that setting boundaries has helped her feel more grounded.

Cyrus and Morando first met on a blind date, only stepping out together publicly months later. They made their red carpet debut as an engaged couple at the Avatar Fire and Ash premiere in Los Angeles on December 1, 2025, where Cyrus proudly showed off a glittering engagement ring.

Even while admitting the word “fiancé” makes her cringe, Cyrus leaned into the humour of it all, calling herself “kind of the dorkiest” when it comes to relationship labels. She said her family’s relaxed and down-to-earth lifestyle has influenced how she approaches love. “When it’s at home, we want no performance. We want to keep it real,” she said.

She also reflected on how the engagement fits naturally into her life right now. Cyrus described the moment as “very recognizable,” explaining that it matches the chapter she is currently in. “I’ve kind of lived my life in chapters…Now it’s just like a whole new book,” she shared.

Alongside discussing her engagement, Cyrus teased upcoming projects during the festival. She hinted at more work tied to Avatar Fire and Ash, including the soundtrack song Dream as One. She also dropped a playful nod to the upcoming 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana, stepping out with a hairstyle that fans quickly linked to her iconic Disney character.

While Cyrus may cringe at certain labels, her comments showed a calm and confident outlook on love, one that feels firmly on her own terms as both her personal life and career continue to evolve.