embarrassment
noun
em·bar·rass·ment
im-ˈber-əs-mənt 
-ˈba-rəs-
1
a
: something that embarrasses
the scandal was a major embarrassment
b
: an excessive quantity from which to select
—used especially in the phrase embarrassment of riches
2
: the state of being embarrassed: such as
a
: confusion or disturbance of mind
couldn't hide her embarrassment
b
: difficulty arising from the want of money to pay debts
c
: difficulty in functioning as a result of disease
cardiac embarrassment
Examples of embarrassment in a Sentence
She couldn't hide her embarrassment.
The scandal was a major embarrassment for the government.
He's an embarrassment to his family.
Recent Examples on the Web
Around 2010 to 2011, as Woods walked knee-deep in the funk of public embarrassment, endless injuries and a broken swing, the door swung open to players desperate for space in major tournaments.
—
Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Maybe Thursday is the start of something, of a retreat from embarrassment.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2025
Israel’s exchanges of fire with Iran last October were an embarrassment for Tehran.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embarrassment
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Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Maybe Thursday is the start of something, of a retreat from embarrassment.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2025
Israel’s exchanges of fire with Iran last October were an embarrassment for Tehran.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embarrassment
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embarrassment. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
embarrassment
noun
em·bar·rass·ment
im-ˈbar-əs-mənt
1
a
: something that embarrasses
the scandal was a terrible embarrassment
b
: an overly large quantity from which to select
—used especially in the phrase embarrassment of riches
2
: the state of being embarrassed
blushed with embarrassment
Medical Definition
embarrassment
noun
em·bar·rass·ment
im-ˈbar-ə-smənt
: difficulty in functioning as a result of disease
cardiac embarrassment
respiratory embarrassment
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