embarrassed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of embarrassednext
as in abashed

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embarrassed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of embarrass
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress the modest young soldiers were embarrassed by the public praise for their heroism

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2
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of a lot of this paperwork is unnecessary and just embarrasses the organization

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3
as in complicated
to make complex or difficult claims that the new government regulations will needlessly embarrass the operations of small businesses in the state

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of embarrassed
Adjective
On the flip side, however, the USA could not get past the Round of 16, being outplayed and embarrassed by Belgium in a 4-1 defeat at Lumen Field in Seattle on Wednesday night. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Larry David is pretty, pretty, pretty embarrassed right now. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Verb
But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed. — Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for embarrassed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassed
  1. abashed
  2. confused
  3. hampered
  4. complicated
  5. discomfited
  6. flustered
  7. impeded
  8. perplexed
Adjective
  • This journey culminated in the 2018 production at Glyndebourne, which accomplished the feat of finally reducing (most of) the London critics to abashed admiration.
    — Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
  • Privacy concerns cause abashed feeling in Silicon Valley Zuckerberg's potential retort comes after Apple's Cook made comments at the end of March in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes.
    — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2018
Definition of abashed
Verb
  • And this isn't even the first time the USC athletic department has gotten its ancient Greek literature confused.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • The Blazers say a handshake agreement with Mayor Keith Wilson, the city and the county was made in March, and are confused why there has been a shift.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • But even use of that system is being hampered because state officials haven’t been trained in how to enter cyclosporiasis cases yet.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The search was hampered by the fact that Horan’s gravestone, like many at Blake Street, had eroded to the point that it could no longer be identified.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of hampered
Verb
  • There are so many extras and cast members, the lighting was really complicated, and I was being followed by a spotlight all the time.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • The visit is complicated by Everett’s (Mulroney) plans to propose to his high-strung girlfriend, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), whom Sybil does not approve of.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of complicated
Adjective
  • Despite these successes at work, Ron scans as a discomfited and undistinguished middle manager.
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Thomas Jefferson was likewise discomfited by the revolutionary possibility of female citizenship.
    — Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of discomfited
Verb
  • He was flustered when he originally was left off the team when it was announced on July 6, 2025.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The Germans dominated the match after the break but struggled to break down Paraguay’s defense as the South Americans once again assumed the compact defending that had flustered Turkey and Australia in the opening group stage.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Definition of flustered
Verb
  • Technological precision impeded the potential of inspiring victories from the likes of Iran, Croatia, and Egypt.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 July 2026
  • The result is a meditative action movie both immense and intimate, albeit one whose flow is impeded by the inherently episodic nature of the nonlinear source material and some questionable casting choices.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of impeded
Verb
  • Workers at Doherty Staffing Solutions were perplexed when strangers started calling the office in response to recruitment texts — texts the firm never sent.
    — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026
  • The Wiener Kitchen diners weren’t the only Kansas Citians perplexed by this description.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of perplexed

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Cite this Entry

“Embarrassed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassed. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on embarrassed

Nglish: Translation of embarrassed for Spanish Speakers

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