embarras
B2Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed.
To impede or complicate (a person, action, or process); to cause financial difficulty or distress.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily describes causing or experiencing a social or emotional discomfort related to shame, awkwardness, or exposure. The related noun is 'embarrassment'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Spelling: UK standard double 'r' and double 's' (embarrass); US standard also double 'r' and double 's'.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[VN] (transitive: She embarrassed him.)[VNN] (ditransitive not typical)[V that-clause] (It embarrassed him that she knew.)Passive voice: 'He was embarrassed by the question.'Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to embarrass the devil out of someone”
- “an embarrassment of riches”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The accounting error could embarrass the firm during the audit.'
Academic
'The study's methodological flaws embarrassed its proponents.'
Everyday
'Don't sing, you'll embarrass me in front of everyone!'
Technical
Rare in pure technical contexts; used in sociolinguistics or psychology (e.g., 'a socially embarrassing situation').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- His loud tie rather embarrassed his colleagues at the formal dinner.
- The leaked memo is sure to embarrass the minister.
American English
- Her mom's stories always embarrass her in front of friends.
- The senator's comment embarrassed his entire party.
adverb
British English
- He smiled embarrassedly and looked away.
- She apologised embarrassedly for the mix-up.
American English
- He embarrassedly admitted he was wrong.
- She laughed embarrassedly at her own mistake.
adjective
British English
- He gave an embarrassed cough before continuing.
- There was a long, embarrassed pause in the conversation.
American English
- She had an embarrassed smile on her face.
- He felt embarrassed about forgetting her name.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I was embarrassed when I fell in the playground.
- Don't embarrass your sister!
- She felt embarrassed about her pronunciation mistake.
- His joke embarrassed everyone at the table.
- The government was embarrassed by the early leak of the report.
- He's easily embarrassed by any kind of public attention.
- The revelation served only to embarrass the prosecution's case.
- Financially embarrassed, the company was forced to seek new investors.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a red-faced person saying, 'Em-bare-ass!' — that feeling of being overly exposed (bare) causes embarrassment.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMBARRASSMENT IS PHYSICAL EXPOSURE / EMBARRASSMENT IS A BURDEN.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'embarras' (Fr.) meaning 'obstruction' or 'surplus'.
- The Russian word 'смущать' is a close equivalent, but English 'embarrass' is less about 'confusion' and more about 'shame/awkwardness'.
- Avoid using 'embarrass' for 'pregnancy' (as in the false friend from Spanish 'embarazada').
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling: 'embarass' (one 'r'), 'embarassed' (one 'r'). The correct spelling has double 'r' and double 's'.
- Using 'ashamed' interchangeably: 'ashamed' implies stronger moral guilt, while 'embarrassed' is more social.
- Using it intransitively incorrectly: 'I embarrassed' is incomplete; needs an object or reflexive: 'I embarrassed myself.'
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'embarrass' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Embarrassed by' and 'embarrassed about' are both correct and largely interchangeable. 'Embarrassed by' often indicates the direct cause/agent ('embarrassed by his laughter'), while 'embarrassed about' refers to the general situation/topic ('embarrassed about the mistake'). 'Embarrassed of' is non-standard and should be avoided.
'Embarrassed' relates to a social or personal awkwardness, often over a minor social fault. 'Ashamed' implies a deeper feeling of guilt, moral failure, or disgrace over something more serious.
It comes from the French word 'embarrasser', which entered English in the 17th century. The double consonants were retained in the standard spelling to preserve the stressed short vowel sound in the second syllable (/ˈbær/).
Yes, in more formal contexts, it can mean 'to hamper', 'impede', or 'cause financial difficulty', e.g., 'Lack of funding embarrassed the project's development.' or 'He was financially embarrassed.' This usage is less common in everyday speech.