embarrassing
embarrassing
Pronunciation
/ɪmˈbærəsɪŋ/ (American English pronunciation is often /ɪmˈbɛrəsɪŋ/)
Syllable Breakdown:
em-: /ɪm/ (or /ɛm/) - The "e" is a short 'i' or 'e' sound, followed by the 'm' sound.
bar-: /bær/ (or /bɛr/) - The 'b' sound, followed by the 'a' sound (like in 'cat' or 'air'), and then the 'r' sound.
rass-: /əs/ - A schwa sound (like the 'a' in 'about') followed by the 's' sound.
ing: /ɪŋ/ - The short 'i' sound followed by the 'ng' sound.
Word Form Variations
The term "embarrassing" is primarily an adjective and a present participle of the verb "to embarrass." Here are its related word forms:
Verb: embarrass (infinitive)
Present Tense: embarrass, embarrasses
Past Tense: embarrassed
Present Participle: embarrassing
Past Participle: embarrassed
Adjective: embarrassing, embarrassed
Noun: embarrassment
Adverb: embarrassingly
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective:
Causing a feeling of shame, awkwardness, or self-consciousness. This refers to a situation, event, or action that makes someone feel exposed, uncomfortable, or foolish.
Synonyms: humiliating, mortifying, awkward, shameful, cringeworthy, disconcerting, discomfiting.
Antonyms: dignified, proud, confidence-inspiring, admirable, commendable.
Highlighting or exposing a fault, weakness, or flaw, often in a public or conspicuous way. This definition emphasizes the aspect of something revealing an undesirable truth or deficiency.
Synonyms: revealing, exposing, compromising, discreditable, telling.
Antonyms: concealing, flattering, vindicating.
Verb (Present Participle):
The act of making someone feel confused, awkward, or ashamed. This form is used to describe the ongoing action of causing embarrassment.
Example: "His constant interruptions were embarrassing the speaker."
Synonyms: shaming, humiliating, abashing, flustering, disconcerting, discomposing.
Antonyms: reassuring, encouraging, emboldening, comforting.
The act of impeding or hindering a process, typically by creating difficulties or complications. (This usage is less common in modern English but is historically valid.)
Example: "The unforeseen technical issues were embarrassing the progress of the project."
Synonyms: hindering, obstructing, hampering, complicating, impeding.
Antonyms: facilitating, assisting, expediting, advancing.
Examples of Use
Books:
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet often finds her mother's social climbing and vulgar behavior quite embarrassing, particularly in front of eligible bachelors like Mr. Darcy.
Many personal memoirs or autobiographies often recount "my most embarrassing moment" chapters, detailing humorous or mortifying incidents from the author's life (e.g., as discussed on Studybay's "My Most Embarrassing Moment Essay Example," May 2024).
Newspapers:
"The local football team suffered an embarrassing defeat against a lower-ranked opponent, sparking widespread criticism from fans." (Local Daily News, April 2025)
"A politician's gaffe during a live interview led to an embarrassing retraction later that day." (National Herald, June 2025)
Online Publications:
"27 of People's Most Embarrassing Moments of All Time" (Cracked.com, March 2025) - This article compiles various user-submitted anecdotes of awkward and humiliating situations.
"Why are we so quick to share our most embarrassing stories online?" (Psychology Today, February 2025) - An article discussing the psychological reasons behind the trend of confessing personal blunders on social media.
"The embarrassing truth about fast fashion's environmental impact" (The Guardian Online, January 2025) - This headline highlights how the negative environmental consequences of an industry can be considered a shameful or regrettable aspect.
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Movies/TV Shows:
Many sitcoms, like The Office (US version), thrive on creating intentionally embarrassing situations for their characters, such as Michael Scott's "Diversity Day" episode. (Refinery29, January 2015)
In the movie Bridesmaids, Annie and Helen's increasingly competitive and chaotic toasts at the engagement party become incredibly embarrassing for everyone involved. (Refinery29, January 2015)
Celebrities often reflect on past roles they found "most embarrassing," like Christopher Plummer initially disliking The Sound of Music or Ben Affleck's feelings about Daredevil. (Collider, January 2019)
Social Media/Online Forums:
On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, "My most embarrassing moment" trends involve users sharing short videos or posts detailing awkward experiences, often with a humorous self-deprecating tone.
Reddit forums regularly feature threads titled "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever said or done?" leading to extensive discussions and shared anecdotes. (Upworthy, July 2025)
The term is also crucial in discussions around cyberbullying, where "sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation" is a common tactic. (PreventionWeb, accessed July 2025)
General Public Discourse:
"It was truly embarrassing when I tripped on the stairs in front of everyone at the meeting." (Everyday conversation)
"The company's handling of the customer complaint was utterly embarrassing, showing a complete lack of professionalism." (Business discussion)
"He made an embarrassing attempt to sing karaoke, but everyone still applauded his effort." (Casual social gathering)
10 Quotes Using Embarrassing
"One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones; this is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes, the pet is embarrassing and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed." (Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft)
"A question is embarrassing for a moment, but not asking is embarrassing for a lifetime." (Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore)
"It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than 'try to be a little kinder.'" (Aldous Huxley)
"To an adolescent, there is nothing in the world more embarrassing than a parent." (Dave Barry)
"Nothing is as embarrassing as watching your boss do something you assured him couldn't be done." (Earl Wilson)
"I don't think my kids have to worry too much about me embarrassing them because that's not how I would want to grow up, with wacky dad showing up at school and performing for everyone." (Steve Carell)
"I've been embarrassing myself since about birth." (Phil Lester)
"My inner world seems largely to consist of three rotating emotions: embarrassment, rage, and tension." (Carrie Fisher, Postcards from the Edge)
"He hated being filled with terror; it was embarrassing." (Rick Riordan, The Blood of Olympus)
"Anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough." (Alain de Botton)
Etymology
The word "embarrassing" comes from the verb "to embarrass," and its journey through languages is quite interesting!
Think of "embarrass" as originally meaning "to block" or "to hinder." It came into English around the late 16th to mid-17th century from the French word embarrasser.
Now, if we go further back, embarrasser itself came from the Spanish embarazar, which in turn came from the Portuguese embaraçar. The core of these words is often traced back to an older Latin or even pre-Roman word barra, meaning "bar" or "barrier," and the "em-" part which means "in" or "into."
So, initially, "to embarrass" literally meant "to put a bar or obstacle in the way," or "to block." It was used to describe things that would get in the way, impede movement, or create difficulties. For example, explorers might have talked about driftwood "embarrassing" a river, meaning it was blocking passage.
Over time, this idea of "blocking" or "hindering" evolved. By the late 17th century, it also started to mean "to perplex" or "to throw into doubt."
It wasn't until much later, around the late 18th or early 19th century, that the word took on its most common modern meaning: "to make someone feel awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious." This meaning likely developed from the idea of being "hindered" or "stuck" in a difficult or uncomfortable social situation, much like being physically blocked.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Embarrassing
An embarrassing moment: A specific instance where someone feels shame or discomfort.
Highly embarrassing: Emphasizes the strong degree of embarrassment.
Deeply embarrassing: Similar to highly embarrassing, conveying intense shame.
A bit embarrassing: A milder, often understated, way to describe something slightly awkward.
The most embarrassing thing: Refers to the ultimate or worst embarrassing experience.
Embarrassing question: A question that makes someone uncomfortable or reveals something they'd rather keep private.
Embarrassing situation: A general term for any circumstance that causes shame or awkwardness.
Embarrassing truth: A fact that is uncomfortable or shameful to admit.
It's embarrassing to admit: A common pre-phrase for a confession of something awkward or regrettable.
To cause an embarrassing scene: To create a public display of awkwardness or shame.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of embarrassing from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
