embarrass

verb

uhm-BAIR-uhs/əmˈbɛɹəs/UKim-BA-ruhs/ɪmˈbæɹəs/

Formsembarrasses, embarrassing, embarrassed

4 meanings of embarrass

1
verbtransitive
To make someone feel ashamed or uncomfortable in front of other people.
Like everyone laughing at you when you trip and fall in public.
Her older brother loves to embarrass her in front of her friends.
The teacher tried not to embarrass the student by reading his low grade aloud.
Similarhumiliate, shame, mortify, fluster, discomfit
Note
2
verbformaltransitive
To confuse someone or make it hard for them to think clearly.
Like getting so many directions at once that you forget which way to go.
The tricky wording of the question embarrassed many of the test-takers.
Too many choices can embarrass a shopper who just wants something simple.
Similardisconcert, confuse, fluster, perplex, unsettle
3
verbtransitive
To cause someone serious money troubles, often by weighing them down with debt.
Like a backpack so full of heavy books that you can barely move.
Reckless spending embarrassed the family for years afterward.
A sudden lawsuit can embarrass even a wealthy business.
Similarstrain, burden, encumber
Note
4
verbtransitive
To get in someone's way and stop them from moving freely.
Like trying to walk through a packed room where people block every step.
Heavy crates in the hallway embarrassed the movers trying to get past.
Thick mud can embarrass a horse pulling a loaded cart.
Similarimpede, obstruct, hinder, hamper, encumber
Note

Practice

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Origin

It came from a Middle French word meaning "to block or obstruct." That word traces back through Spanish and Portuguese to a word for "rope" or "noose."