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 TwainSynonyms
Examples of embarrassing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appeared on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show the day after his Golden State Warriors were pummeled by the Sacramento Kings in an embarrassing season-ending beatdown in the play-in tournament, lamenting what could have and frankly, what should have been.
—Jannelle Moore, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The American Idol panelist, 39, had an embarrassing moment on Monday night’s episode when her top broke in the middle of judging a contestant.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Testimony could be embarrassing for the former president, even if Trump disputes it.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The last attempt was an embarrassing bust that further empowered the governor and benefited no one except for consultants.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 12 Apr. 2024
Last December, The Sacramento Bee reported an embarrassing mistake about the Holocaust on a commemorative plaque in a new city park.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
The draconian sentence is punishment not only for a crime but also for shining a spotlight on decades of embarrassing failures.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
In the season one finale of the comedy, which aired on Aug. 12, 2022, Molly declared plans to give away every penny of her $120 billion divorce settlement from tech tycoon John Novak (Adam Scott) after a publicly embarrassing business blunder.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
In that light, the draconian sentence is punishment not only for a crime but also for shining a spotlight on decades of embarrassing failures, ones that were made clear to the entire country the day that Özer disappeared.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Jannelle Moore, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The American Idol panelist, 39, had an embarrassing moment on Monday night’s episode when her top broke in the middle of judging a contestant.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Testimony could be embarrassing for the former president, even if Trump disputes it.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The last attempt was an embarrassing bust that further empowered the governor and benefited no one except for consultants.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 12 Apr. 2024
Last December, The Sacramento Bee reported an embarrassing mistake about the Holocaust on a commemorative plaque in a new city park.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
The draconian sentence is punishment not only for a crime but also for shining a spotlight on decades of embarrassing failures.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
In the season one finale of the comedy, which aired on Aug. 12, 2022, Molly declared plans to give away every penny of her $120 billion divorce settlement from tech tycoon John Novak (Adam Scott) after a publicly embarrassing business blunder.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
In that light, the draconian sentence is punishment not only for a crime but also for shining a spotlight on decades of embarrassing failures, ones that were made clear to the entire country the day that Özer disappeared.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embarrassing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near embarrassing
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embarrassing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share