embarrassing
adjective
em·bar·rass·ing
im-ˈber-ə-siŋ 
-ˈba-rə-
: causing a feeling of self-conscious confusion and distress : causing embarrassment
an embarrassing error
The official was ever so polite, and ever so sorry, but the rule was strict, and he could not let us in. It was very embarrassing, for many eyes were on us.—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainExamples of embarrassing in a Sentence
an embarrassing failure of memory inauspiciously marked my first appearance as an actor
Recent Examples on the Web
Few state-level offices are untouched by embarrassing headlines based on findings from this office.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Private vigilance would prevent public slovenliness and insulate her from accidentally doing something embarrassing.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Al Gore, a liberal resident, had just become Vice-President, and the Criminal Justice Center was now seen as an embarrassing relic.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The result is an embarrassing defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer in what is the Labour Party’s electoral backyard, made up of working-class voters, students and a large ethnic-minority population.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
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Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Private vigilance would prevent public slovenliness and insulate her from accidentally doing something embarrassing.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Al Gore, a liberal resident, had just become Vice-President, and the Criminal Justice Center was now seen as an embarrassing relic.
—James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
The result is an embarrassing defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer in what is the Labour Party’s electoral backyard, made up of working-class voters, students and a large ethnic-minority population.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embarrassing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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