embarrassing 1 of 2

adjective

im-ˈber-ə-siŋ How to pronounce embarrassing (audio)
Definition of embarrassingnext
as in uncomfortable
causing embarrassment an embarrassing failure of memory inauspiciously marked my first appearance as an actor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

embarrassing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of embarrass
1
as in confusing
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 hampering
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 complicating
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 embarrassing
Adjective
This time, Bilt cardholders received mistaken debt collection notices and saw their credit scores go down as a result, sparking more embarrassing news stories and angry complaints. — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026 Determining which loss is worse, or more embarrassing, is like asking which piece of dog poop tastes better. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
College students should not have to worry about their parents embarrassing them to an audience of thousands. — Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Many of the voters of the other political parties have been lending him their support, partly in the hope of embarrassing Farage. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassing
  1. uncomfortable
  2. confusing
  3. hampering
  4. complicating
  5. awkward
  6. mortifying
  7. impeding
  8. perplexing
Adjective
  • Unlike those folks from the other side of the country who fill cold-weather stadiums for bad teams during snowstorms and brag about it, the local sports fans stay away from struggling teams in uncomfortable situations and shrug about it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This is uncomfortable to implement, because someone in legal, compliance or operations has to sign their name to a permanent record of judgment calls the business used to make quietly and never revisit.
    — Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Verb
  • Dirty glass, confusing backing liners and difficulty repositioning the film were among the most common frustrations.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rescuers will use an extrication device and a helicopter, Fathur said, adding that there were no reports of people missing and no challenges hampering the search.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • The federal government has transferred many detainees to some of the nation’s largest detention facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi, complicating their legal representation and crowding the dockets in those states.
    — Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The remote ranch’s hallmark isolation is now complicating recovery efforts.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of complicating
Adjective
  • Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That puts the conference’s universities in an awkward—and potentially paradoxical—position of promoting a product that researchers within their academic departments have raised concerns about.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of awkward
Verb
  • The film approaches its health crisis with amazing balance and breadth, resulting in a mortifying conflict that feels uniquely global in scale.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Just last year, the Trust for Public Land scored the city way down at 90th out of 100 cities, the kind of mortifying ranking usually occupied in other categories by Mississippi (sorry, Mississippi).
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Definition of mortifying
Verb
  • But what if the longer wavelengths of the embers could both extend the hours of socializing without heavily impeding our sleep cycle?
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Supreme Court has been a fitful friend to Trump in his second term, alternately enabling and impeding him.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of impeding
Verb
  • Gibson Nash, 21, was charged with first-degree murder after a series of perplexing events eventually led police to his mother’s bloodied body.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But there were also perplexing moments that punctured the gravitas of the event (even for an event built around hand-to-hand combat).
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
Definition of perplexing

Browse Nearby Words

embarrasses
embarrassing
embarrassment
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Cite this Entry

“Embarrassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassing. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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