What does "embarrassment" mean?
A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation.
Embarrassment
/ɪmˈbæɹ.əs.mənt/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation.
- Grammar: embarrassment is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abasement, abashment, absorption, agitation.
- Useful contrasts: composure, confidence, dignity.
- Usage evidence: I was feverish with embarrassment.
How to use "embarrassment"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "embarrassment" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "embarrassment" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "embarrassment" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "embarrassment" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "embarrassment" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abasement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "embarrassment", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation. countable, uncountable
"The desired effect [of affectionate teasing] is a look of pleasurable embarrassment, as if you administered a compliment. Anyone who doesn't stop teasing immediately upon producing real embarrassment, anger or tears is not really teasing."
- 2 extreme excess wordnet
- 3 A person or thing which is the cause of humiliation to another. countable, uncountable
"Jack, you are an embarrassment to this family."
- 4 some event that causes someone to be embarrassed wordnet
- 5 A large collection of good or valuable things, especially one that exceeds requirements or causes some sort of hindrance. countable, uncountable
"There are over 5,000 Americans now in Paris, many artists, singers, musicians, writers, and actors, so many, indeed, the committee could hardly pick a program from an embarrassment of volunteers."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public wordnet
- 7 A state of confusion; hesitation; uncertainty. countable, uncountable
"[…]and render them more intelligible than all the commentaries which have been written on them, for they generally render the authour more obscure, and lead the reader into greater embarrassments, by what they explain, than by what they leave untouched."
- 8 the state of being embarrassed (usually by some financial inadequacy) wordnet
- 9 Impairment of function due to disease: respiratory embarrassment. countable, uncountable
- 10 Difficulty in financial matters; poverty. countable, dated, uncountable
- 11 A group of pandas (ie. red panda, giant panda) collective, countable, uncountable
Example
"I was feverish with embarrassment."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "embarrassment"?
Common synonyms include: abasement, abashment, absorption, agitation, awkwardness, awkwardness.
How do you use "embarrassment" in a sentence?
I was feverish with embarrassment.
How do you pronounce "embarrassment"?
Pronounced /ɪmˈbæɹ.əs.mənt/.
Etymology
From embarrass + -ment.