embarrass
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause confusion and shame to; make uncomfortably self-conscious; disconcert; abash.
His bad table manners embarrassed her.
- Synonyms:
- chagrin, discomfit, discompose
-
to make difficult or intricate, as a question or problem; complicate.
-
to put obstacles or difficulties in the way of; impede.
The motion was advanced in order to embarrass the progress of the bill.
-
to beset with financial difficulties; burden with debt.
The decline in sales embarrassed the company.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(also intr) to feel or cause to feel confusion or self-consciousness; disconcert; fluster
-
(usually passive) to involve in financial difficulties
-
archaic to make difficult; complicate
-
archaic to impede; obstruct; hamper
Related Words
See confuse.
Other Word Forms
- embarrassed adjective
- embarrassedly adverb
- embarrassingly adverb
- preembarrass verb (used with object)
- unembarrassed adjective
Etymology
Origin of embarrass
1665–75; < French embarrasser < Spanish embarazar < Portuguese embaraçar, equivalent to em- em- 1 + -baraçar, verbal derivative of baraço, baraça cord, strap, noose (of obscure origin)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Northumbria Police previously told the BBC they believe there may be "hundreds" of women who have been defrauded by McDonald, many too embarrassed or ashamed to report his crimes.
From BBC
Doctors are used to seeing lots of people with a variety of bowel problems, so there is no need to be embarrassed.
From BBC
I’m not sure what’s happening, but I know enough to feel embarrassed.
From Literature
He was embarrassed about Teddy pushing him, but mostly he was sad.
From Literature
I could tell Ronnie was embarrassed that I was going to be teaching him, because the first time I came over to his desk he just looked down at his feet.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
