as in uncomfortable
causing embarrassment
an embarrassing failure of memory inauspiciously marked my first appearance as an actor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impeding
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
a lot of this paperwork is unnecessary and just embarrasses the organization
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of embarrassing
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
Now the whole thing has turned into an embarrassing debacle.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Some mushroom bills backfired when their true impacts became known, embarrassing legislators who voted for them, and forcing them to backtrack.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
Adjective
They were swiftly brought back down to earth, however, suffering an embarrassing FA Cup elimination at the hands of Mansfield Town over the weekend.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
Now the whole thing has turned into an embarrassing debacle.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Recently, Ryan spoke about the Beckham situation, the process of writing material as a mother without embarrassing her kids and her new goal of returning to the career trajectory of her pre-pregnant self in the near future.
—Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Some mushroom bills backfired when their true impacts became known, embarrassing legislators who voted for them, and forcing them to backtrack.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassing
Adjective
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Both works, critics say, display uncomfortable stereotypes that have been used to marginalize their respective Jewish and gay populations for a very long time.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
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Because in hindsight, there was a lot of luck that played into the public’s preparations for this storm, with forecasters in the uncomfortable position of rapidly ratcheting up their warnings with precious little preparation time to spare.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The reason is that missing information and others’ gaslighting are confusing your mind.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
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According to Sara Nibler, a recruiter at Redballoon who places candidates in roles ranging from manufacturing to media, job seekers are increasingly confusing the convenience of Zoom with an excuse to abandon basic professional etiquette.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bill Essayli, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have aggressively charged protesters with assaulting and impeding the actions of immigration agents, filing more than 100 cases.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Homan said nearly 160 people were arrested in the month of January for impeding or assaulting federal officers.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Olympics include an extra complicating factor because the closing ceremony was scheduled immediately after the gold-medal game.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Mamdani cited the 28-30 inches of snow that fell, and pointed to the narrow streets on Staten Island as factors complicating the cleanup.—
Aziza Shuler,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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When cutting food, holding the meat with the fork in an awkward vertical position.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Other awkward—and more viral—moments included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stealing the spotlight from Modi by refusing to hold hands for a photo op designed to be a show of unity and triumph.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
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Ursula Lindsey The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth has a gift for depicting painful, confusing, and mortifying relationships.—
Joanna Walsh,
The New York Review of Books,
15 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dry air and gusty winds are hampering fire crews, particularly in the southern Rockies and Plains, where blustery conditions in New Mexico and Texas are fueling rapid spread through tinder-dry grasses.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Rescuers faced a winter storm dumping more than 2 inches of snow an hour in the area, grounding rescue helicopters and hampering ground crews trying to reach the missing skiers, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That none of this has ever been clear to Gisèle is perplexing even to her.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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While initially perplexing to the Messers and other anglers, some now believe this was part of Phillips’ long con.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassing. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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