# embarrass

Pronunciation: US say "uhm-BAIR-uhs" /əmˈbɛɹəs/; UK say "im-BA-ruhs" /ɪmˈbæɹəs/

## Verb

1. To cause someone to feel self-conscious, ashamed, or uncomfortable, especially in public.
   - Simple: To make someone feel ashamed or uncomfortable in front of other people.
   - _A surprise question from the reporter embarrassed the minister during the live broadcast._
   - _He tends to embarrass his colleagues with crude jokes at staff meetings._
2. To throw someone into mental confusion; to disconcert or perplex, catching them off guard.
   - Simple: To confuse someone or make it hard for them to think clearly.
   - _The lawyer's sudden change of topic embarrassed the witness, who fell silent._
   - _Conflicting instructions embarrass new recruits who cannot tell which order to follow._
3. To involve someone in financial difficulty; to burden with debt or beset with pressing demands for money.
   - Simple: To cause someone serious money troubles, often by weighing them down with debt.
   - _The long war embarrassed the treasury, leaving the crown unable to pay its soldiers._
   - _Unexpected medical bills can embarrass a household that once lived comfortably._
4. To hinder someone or something from moving freely; to impede or obstruct passage.
   - Simple: To get in someone's way and stop them from moving freely.
   - _Fallen branches embarrassed the narrow path through the woods._
   - _Tight rigging can embarrass a ship's crew during a sudden maneuver._

## Origin

English borrowed this from Middle French embarrasser ("to embarrass; to block, obstruct"), which came through Spanish embarazar and Portuguese embaraçar. The Portuguese word combines em- ("in") with baraço ("noose, rope"), which goes back to Arabic marasa ("rope") and ultimately to Akkadian markasu ("rope").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/embarrass (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).