embarrassment

noun

em·​bar·​rass·​ment im-ˈber-əs-mənt 

-ˈba-rəs-

1

a

: something that embarrasses

the scandal was a major embarrassment

b

: an excessive quantity from which to select

—used especially in the phrase embarrassment of riches

2

: the state of being embarrassed: such as

a

: confusion or disturbance of mind

couldn't hide her embarrassment

b

: difficulty arising from the want of money to pay debts

c

: difficulty in functioning as a result of disease

cardiac embarrassment

Synonyms

• abashment
• confusion
• discomfiture
• disconcertment
• fluster
• mortification

Examples of embarrassment in a Sentence

She couldn't hide her embarrassment.

The scandal was a major embarrassment for the government.

He's an embarrassment to his family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront strip, as it was known, had become a tawdry embarrassment, Dressler said at the time. —Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2024

But the situation makes for a moment of uncertainty and embarrassment that joins a long list of similar blunders by the Boeing Starliner program, which is already years behind schedule. —Jackie Wattles, CNN, 19 June 2024

The public embarrassment has worried some HBCU supporters, who hope the outsize negative attention won’t dampen an otherwise resurgent fundraising atmosphere. —James Pollard, Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2024

But the book’s power comes from showing a field in flux and reminding us that ideas have their own life cycles: from crackpot theory to utter embarrassment to real possibility to the stuff of textbooks. —Rachel Riederer, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing embarrassment

• embarrassment of riches

Kids Definition

embarrassment

noun

em·​bar·​rass·​ment im-ˈbar-əs-mənt 

1

a

: something that embarrasses

the scandal was a terrible embarrassment

b

: an overly large quantity from which to select

—used especially in the phrase embarrassment of riches

2

: the state of being embarrassed

blushed with embarrassment

Medical Definition

embarrassment

noun

em·​bar·​rass·​ment im-ˈbar-ə-smənt 

: difficulty in functioning as a result of disease

cardiac embarrassment

respiratory embarrassment