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.

But he's also very loud and he does bear grudges: he will undoubtedly continue to swing punches at OpenAI and attempt to embarrass it from his social network X.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The U.K. government can deploy the king abroad to woo foreign governments, but convention dictates politicians cannot embarrass the monarch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

This is not revelation: The defense secretary is well known for preening for the cameras with a level of self-regard that would embarrass most supermodels.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

“I don’t know, Kate, but I do know that I need to find the comfort room in a hurry or I am going to embarrass myself yet again.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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