embarrass

[em-bar-uhs] / ɛmˈbær əs /

VERB

cause mental discomfort

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agitate annoy bewilder bother confuse disconcert distract disturb dumbfound faze fluster irk mortify perplex perturb plague puzzle rattle shame stun upset

STRONG

abash bug chagrin discombobulate discomfit discompose discountenance distress nonplus tease throw

WEAK

catch one short give a bad time give a hard time hang up let down make a monkey of put in a hole put in a spot put on the spot put out of countenance show up throw into a tizzy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid appease calm clarify clear up comfort delight enlighten explain help make happy order organize please quiet soothe

WEAK

gladden

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As a place that came of age with the automobile, Los Angeles is a sprawl of freeways with a public transport system that would embarrass any medium-sized European city.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The only thing keeping him up at night is the thought he might fall over and embarrass himself.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The leaks that embarrass leaders usually aren’t about confidential business initiatives.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The Justice Department’s release of its Jeffrey Epstein files has given some powerful people fresh fodder to embarrass their foes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

"Don't embarrass us, please, Sandi!" she said, and then laughed when Papi reminded her that Spanish was not a secret language in this place.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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