Dictionary

embarrass en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɛm-/ (Canada, General-American) with the Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ɪmˈbaɾəs/ (Scotland, Wales)
• (General-American) audio Mmmm
• /ɪmˈbɛɹəs/ (Canada, General-American) with the Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ɪmˈbæɹəs/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation) without the Mary–marry–merry merger

Etymology

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒆟 (rakāsum) Akkadian 𒄙 (markasu)bor. Classical Syriac ܡܰܪܫܳܐ (maršā)bor. Arabic مَرَسَة (marasa)der. Old Galician-Portuguese baraço Old Galician-Portuguese embaraçarbor. Old Spanish embaraçar Spanish embarazarbor. French embarrasserbor. English embarrass Borrowed from French embarrasser, from Middle French embarrasser, embarasser (“to embarrass; to block, obstruct”), from Spanish embarazar, either from Italian imbarazzare or from Portuguese embaraçar.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.
   • The crowd's laughter and jeers embarrassed him.
2. (transitive) To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct.
   • This will... be the principal part of education; and this alone will effectively dispel that theological philosophy, which, in its decline, is still powerful enough to embarrass the course both of intellectual and social progress. 1896, The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, Frederic Harrison, page 418, volume 3:
   • If they [registers] act It all, it must be by opposing their flat surfaces to the current of rising smoke in a manner which cannot fail to embarrass and impede its motion.. 1796, Benjamin Count of Rumford, “Of Chimney Fire-places”, in Essays, Political, Economical and Philosophical, page 330:
   • In the case at bar, there is very little beyond bare assertions and bald statements against the unidentified and unspecified Defendant(s). The claim is vexatious in that the Defendant, if identifiable, is left both embarrassed and unable to defend itself. The Court is left with a proceeding so ill-defined that it is unable to discern an argument, or identify any specific material facts. 2004 October 15, Judith A. Snider, “kisikawpemootewin v. Canada, 2004 FC 1426”, in CanLII, retrieved 07 Nov 2020:
   • The motion was advanced in order to embarrass the progress of the bill.
3. (transitive) To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to encumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands.
   • A man or his business is embarrassed when he cannot meet his pecuniary engagements.
4. (formal, transitive) To perplex mentally; confuse, disconcert; catch off guard.

Forms

Deriveds

embarrassability · embarrassment · embarrassing · disembarrass · embarrassingly · embarrassable

Synonyms

humble · lower · abase · debase · put to shame · depress · degrade · disconcert · bring low · confuse · discomfit · dishonour · abash · mortify · embarrass · demean · shame · humiliate · confound

Translations (56)

ru смуща́ть (to humiliate) · es abochornar (to humiliate) · el ντροπιάζω (to humiliate) · es sonrojar (to humiliate) · ja 困らせる (to humiliate) · nl in verlegenheid brengen (to humiliate) · nb gjøre flau (to humiliate) · fi nolata (to humiliate) · ko 창피 주다 (to humiliate) · pt embaraçar (to humiliate) · tr rezil etmek (to humiliate) · de verlegen machen (to humiliate) · mn саад хийх (to humiliate) · mn ичээх (to humiliate) · hy խայտառակել (to humiliate) · fr gêner (to humiliate) · km អោយគេខ្មាស (to humiliate) · es humillar (to humiliate) · ko 난처하다 (to humiliate) · it imbarazzare (to humiliate) · eo embarasi (to humiliate) · cmn 使…尷尬 /使…尴尬 (to humiliate) · cmn 使…困窘 (to humiliate) · de kränken (to humiliate) · la humiliō (to humiliate) · es acholar (to humiliate) · de demütigen (to humiliate) · pl wprawić w zakłopotanie (to humiliate) · cs ponížit (to humiliate) · es avergonzar (to humiliate) · pl zaambarasować (to humiliate) · gl avergoñar (to humiliate) · it mettere in imbarazzo (to humiliate) · ar أَخْجَلَ (to humiliate) · nb gjøre forlegen (to humiliate) · yi פֿאַרשעמען (to humiliate) · bg обърквам (to humiliate) · nl verlegen maken (to humiliate) · da sætte i forlegenhed (to humiliate) · hy ամաչեցնել (to humiliate) · bg смущавам (to humiliate) · chr ᎠᏕᎰᎯᏍᏗᎭ (to humiliate) · fr embarrasser (to humiliate) · da gøre forlegen (to humiliate) · lo ເຮັດໃຫ້ອິດອັດໃຈ (to humiliate) · pl zawstydzić (to humiliate) · ca avergonyir (to humiliate) · pl ambarasować (to humiliate) · ms memalukan (to humiliate) · vi làm xấu hổ (to humiliate) · hu zavarba hoz (to humiliate) · da gøre flov (to humiliate) · ta மனதிற்கு தொல்லை கொடு (to humiliate) · mn сандраах (to humiliate) · sv genera (to humiliate) · da gøre genert (to humiliate)