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Definitions

embarrassment

[em-bar-uhs-muhnt] / ɛmˈbær əs mənt /
NOUN
humiliation, shame
Synonyms
STRONGEST
chagrin confusion difficulty dilemma mess mistake unease
STRONG
awkwardness bashfulness bind clumsiness complexity destitution discomfiture discomposure disconcertion distress fix hitch indebtedness indiscretion inhibition mortification pickle pinch plight poverty predicament puzzle quandary scrape self-consciousness shyness snag stew strait tangle timidity uneasiness
WEAK
awkward situation boo-boo egg on face faux pas hot seat hot water impecuniosity
Antonyms
STRONGEST
calm order organization pleasure solution
STRONG
advantage benefit blessing boldness boon convenience ease good fortune happiness peace
WEAK
comfort confidence

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.

He takes the defiance as an insult and the public insult as an embarrassment.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Your mom probably thought she was on top of things and was avoiding getting your involved in order to spare you the burden and her the embarrassment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Where Fausset’s story was clumsy enough to draw immediate institutional embarrassment, Bernstein’s is polished enough to escape the same reckoning.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Her pursuit of a mature romance results, inevitably, in embarrassment and confusion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Penelope dipped her head to hide her embarrassment.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood