embarrassed

adjective

em·​bar·​rassed im-ˈber-əst How to pronounce embarrassed (audio)
-ˈba-rəst
: feeling or showing a state of self-conscious confusion and distress
I've never been so embarrassed in my life.
was too embarrassed to ask for help
an embarrassed smile
embarrassedly
im-ˈber-əst-lē How to pronounce embarrassed (audio)
-ə-səd-lē;
-ˈba-rəst-lē
-rə-səd-
adverb
smiling embarrassedly

Examples of embarrassed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most people are embarrassed to raise their voices in public and therefore equate it with being rude. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 18 June 2025 Instead, the tickets only became affordable when the organization’s president was at risk of being embarrassed by attendances. Adam Crafton, New York Times, 14 June 2025 Remembering this, Burnett shakes his head, embarrassed. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 Still, you’re mostly rewarded with silly multiple-choice questions that even celebrity episodes of The Chase would be embarrassed to use. Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for embarrassed

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of embarrassed was in 1756

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Cite this Entry

“Embarrassed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embarrassed. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on embarrassed

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