Meaning & use
embarrassment
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Meanings
noununcountable
An uncomfortable feeling of being self-conscious or ashamed because of something awkward that has happened or been said.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: blush with embarrassment. Stronger than shyness but milder than humiliation.
Patterns
- embarrassment at something
- blush with embarrassment
- to someone's embarrassment
He turned bright red with embarrassment when his phone rang in the middle of the concert.
She felt a flash of embarrassment at having used the wrong name.
To her embarrassment, the teacher read her essay aloud.
nouncountable
A person or thing that makes you or an organization feel ashamed or look foolish.
Grammar: Usually singular with an or an: he is an embarrassment to his team.
Patterns
- an embarrassment to someone
- a source of embarrassment
The leaked emails were a serious embarrassment to the government.
Their poor performance in the final was an embarrassment to the whole school.
The old statue is an embarrassment to the town council, who rarely mention it.
nounidiomfigurative
A very large number or amount of good things, used in the phrase an embarrassment of riches.
Grammar: Fixed expression: an embarrassment of riches means more choice than you can easily handle.
Patterns
- an embarrassment of riches
With three job offers on the table, she faced an embarrassment of riches.
The festival's schedule is an embarrassment of riches, with five good concerts every night.
Word forms
| plural | embarrassments |
|---|
Common combinations
- red with embarrassment
- He went red with embarrassment when everyone looked at him.
- cause embarrassment
- The mistake caused her considerable embarrassment.
- avoid embarrassment
- To avoid embarrassment, check the guest list before addressing anyone by name.
- spare someone embarrassment
- He lied to spare her embarrassment in front of the others.
- political embarrassment
- The scandal was a political embarrassment for the party.
- to someone's embarrassment
- To my embarrassment, I realized I was wearing two different shoes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shame
- Shame is deeper and involves guilt or moral failure, while embarrassment is usually a short-lived awkwardness about being seen.
- humiliation
- Humiliation is much stronger and suggests a painful loss of dignity, often caused by other people.
- awkwardness
- Awkwardness describes the uncomfortable situation itself, while embarrassment is the feeling it produces.
- mortification
- Mortification is an extreme, almost painful embarrassment and is more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- embarrass verb
- to make someone feel awkward or ashamed
- embarrassed adjective
- feeling awkward or ashamed
- embarrassing adjective
- causing awkward or ashamed feelings
- embarrassingly adverb
- in a way that causes awkward feelings
Commonly confused: embarrassment or harassment?
embarrassment vs harassment
Harassment is repeated unwanted behavior toward someone; the two words look alike and both contain a double r and double s, but they are unrelated.
Practice
To her ___, the phone rang loudly during the quiet ceremony.
Choose one answer.
The fixed pattern is to someone's embarrassment, which needs the noun. The adjectives and the verb do not fit after the possessive her.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “embarrassment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.