Synonyms

embarrass

American

[em-bar-uhs] / ɛmˈbær əs /

verb (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.

Synonyms:

hinder, hamper
to beset with financial difficulties; burden with debt.

The decline in sales embarrassed the company.

verb (used without object)

to become disconcerted, abashed, or confused.

embarrass British

/ ɪmˈbærəs /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See confuse.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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)

Explanation

If you embarrass someone, you make them feel self-conscious, awkward, or even stupid. Your mom might embarrass you by inviting your date to check out your childhood photos. Embarrass actually has another meaning, but it's very rarely used: to blockade, hinder, obstruct, or stymie. Nowadays, we tend to embarrass one another (and ourselves) by pretty much sticking to the basics: making fun of our friends when they blunder, accidentally revealing secrets in public, confessing our undying love to people who don't even know we exist, and all the millions of creative and frustrating ways we have of making mistakes.

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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.

As a place that came of age with the automobile, Los Angeles is a sprawl of freeways with a public transport system that would embarrass any medium-sized European city.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The leaks that embarrass leaders usually aren’t about confidential business initiatives.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

This is not revelation: The defense secretary is well known for preening for the cameras with a level of self-regard that would embarrass most supermodels.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

They were blown away by Ireland at Twickenham as the men in green ran in five tries to embarrass Steve Borthwick's side 42-21.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

"I wasn't trying to embarrass you," I said, feeling totally ridiculous.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023