Meaning & use

embarrassment

noun·Everyday

A feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness caused by an uncomfortable situation.

See it in a sentence

His face turned red with embarrassment after he tripped in front of the class.

To her embarrassment, she realized she had called her teacher 'mom' by mistake.

A note on using this word

Embarrassment is milder than 'humiliation,' which implies a deeper loss of dignity, often caused by someone else.

Words with a similar meaning

awkwardnesshumiliation

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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