embarrass

verb

em·​bar·​rass im-ˈber-əs 

-ˈba-rəs

embarrassed; embarrassing; embarrasses

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress

bawdy stories embarrassed him

b

: to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties

c

: to involve in financial difficulties

2

a

: to hamper the movement of

b

: hinder, impede

3

: to make intricate : complicate

4

: to impair the activity of (a bodily function) or the function of (a bodily part)

digestion embarrassed by overeating

intransitive verb

: to become anxiously self-conscious

he embarrasses easily

embarrassable

im-ˈber-ə-sə-bəl 

-ˈba-rə-

adjective

Did you know?

Embarrass comes from Portuguese embaraçar, whose prefix (em-) is from Latin in- and whose base word means "noose." Although embarrass has had various meanings related to acts that hinder or impede, these days it most often implies making someone feel or look foolish.

Did you know?

Embarrass: Its Spelling and Use

Are you here because you spelled embarrass wrong? Don't be embarrassed.

Instead, remember that the word embarrass got those embarrassing r's and s's from the French: English embarrass comes from the French word embarrasser.

When used as an active verb, embarrass is most often seen in constructions like "x embarrasses/embarrassed me/them." The word is also very commonly used as a passive verb. In such cases, the preposition by is a frequent companion:

Private companies were embarrassed by being shown to co-operate with the American authorities.
— The Economist, 12 Nov. 2016

Teenagers are always easily embarrassed by their parents.
— Farley Granger, Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway, 2007

In that moment, I know I have begun to assign the termites the powers of volition and desire, the experiences of pain and regret. I am embarrassed by this, and dare not mention it to the scientists.
— Duncan Murrell, Harper's, August 2005

People are also regularly embarrassed about something:

His attorney said he was embarrassed about the incident and didn't want anybody to notice him.
— Richard Martin, The Atlantic Monthly, June 2001

Fiction has no reason to be embarrassed about telling the same story again and again, since we all, with infinite variations, live the same story.
— John Simon, The New Republic, 21 Nov. 1983

Sometimes they're embarrassed (or not) on someone's behalf—that is, they're embarrassed for someone:

Nobody ever felt embarrassed for Yoko Ono.
— Bruno Maddox, Spy, November 1996

They're less commonly embarrassed at something:

She would be deeply embarrassed at my admiration, more so at my naming her in print.
— Nancy Harmon Jenkins, The New York Times Magazine, 4 May 1986

His cogent reasoning made me embarrassed at my own first reaction….
—David Greenberg, The New Republic, 14 Nov. 1994

Occasionally, and by some measures increasingly, people are embarrassed of something, as in "They're embarrassed of the way it happened." This use is not yet common in published, edited text and is considered by some to be a mistake.

Synonyms

• abash
• confound
• confuse
• discomfit
• disconcert
• discountenance
• faze
• fluster
• mortify
• nonplus
• rattle

Choose the Right Synonym for embarrass

embarrass, discomfit, abash, disconcert, rattle mean to distress by confusing or confounding.

embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

Examples of embarrass in a Sentence

Unexpected laughter embarrassed the speaker.

She's worried about embarrassing herself in front of such a large audience.

I would never do anything to embarrass my family.

The protest was staged as a deliberate attempt to embarrass the government.

Recent Examples on the Web

Another Friday night, another welcome party: his and hers signature cocktails, best friend’s toast about embarrassing high school shenanigans and Caprese skewers at the buffet. —Isabelle Stillman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

International shaming, whether through formal legal mechanisms (such as the censure of the ICJ) or informal denunciations in diplomatic rhetoric, can hurt countries alleged to have violated international norms, embarrassing their leaders and tarnishing their reputations. —Rochelle Terman, Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2024

The ruling extended an decade-long legal saga over the controversial activist who has embarrassed and outraged the U.S. with a string of blockbuster leaks. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024

Sure, the eighth-seeded Aggies were embarrassed by No. 1 Purdue in the second round, and UW fans undoubtedly would have preferred a 15-to-20-point loss rather than the 39-point obliteration that played out in Indianapolis. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024

The New York attorney general sought to use the power of the state to target Donald Trump, smash his business, and personally embarrass him. —Rich Lowry, National Review, 21 Mar. 2024

Last year, The Intercept reported on a shadowy Pentagon unit called the Protective Services Battalion, which trawls through social media searching for posts from service members that might embarrass current and former top military brass. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024

In the audio world, products such as the Thorens TD 124 DD are simply timeless, while delivering performance that will embarrass most brand-new turntables. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's Relationship Timeline Despite Blanco's penchant for embarrassing Gomez, the couple, who was first romantically linked in December 2023, appears to be going strong. —Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French embarrasser, from Spanish embarazar, from Portuguese embaraçar, from em- (from Latin in-) + baraça noose

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

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Kids Definition

embarrass

verb

em·​bar·​rass im-ˈbar-əs 

1

: to cause to feel self-consciously confused or distressed

unexpected laughter embarrassed the speaker

2

: to restrict the movement of : hinder, impede

3

: to involve in financial difficulties

embarrassingly

-ˈbar-ə-siŋ-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

embarrass

transitive verb

em·​bar·​rass im-ˈbar-əs 

: to impair the activity of (a bodily function) or the function of (a bodily part)

digestion embarrassed by overeating