- present participle of embarrass.
embarrassing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Use the adjective embarrassing to describe something that is shameful or humiliating. You probably have a few embarrassing stories that you'd rather not remember, but your siblings are always happy to bring them up at holidays. It's really embarrassing how many people misspell embarrassing. The word has two r's and two s's but you might forget and leave one of them out. Imagine how embarrassing it would be if you were winning the third grade spelling bee and got the word embarrassing wrong. You know everyone would be talking about it. How embarrassing!
Vocabulary lists containing embarrassing
Awkward Moments
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Schooled
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Neighborhood Odes
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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.
Today, he even sent an embarrassing photo to one of my friends/co-workers.
From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2023
“The temptation for anyone who has an embarrassing photo on their phone, is angry about what happened, and no longer works there, is now inordinate,” Ms. Rutter said.
From New York Times • May 19, 2022
If a friend uploaded an embarrassing photo of you that’s set to Public or Friends of Friends, your only options are to ask him or her to change the setting to Friends.
From Time • Feb. 4, 2015
Photos by Getty Images & Thinkstock What’s the best way to get an embarrassing photo of yourself removed from the Internet?
From Slate • Oct. 8, 2013
And I worry about the Facebook generation going into politics, when every sick one-liner or embarrassing photo will be there in the archive for smears in later life.
From The Guardian • Mar. 1, 2013
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.