embarrasses; embarrassed; embarrassing
1
: to make (someone) feel confused and foolish in front of other people
Unexpected laughter embarrassed the speaker.
She's worried about embarrassing herself in front of such a large audience.
She doesn't embarrass easily. [=she is not easily embarrassed]
2
: to make (a person, group, government, etc.) look foolish in public
I would never do anything to embarrass my family.
The protest was staged as a deliberate attempt to embarrass the government.
Cite this Entry
“Embarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/embarrass. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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