What does embarrass mean?
To embarrass someone is to cause them to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed — usually by exposing them to something uncomfortable, foolish, or humiliating in front of others. The verb takes a person as its object: a parent might embarrass a teenager with an overly affectionate remark in public, or a journalist might embarrass a politician with unwelcome questions. It can also be used reflexively, as in 'I embarrassed myself at dinner.' Its derivatives are among the most common emotional words in English: 'embarrassing' describes situations that provoke such feelings, 'embarrassed' describes the person experiencing them, and 'embarrassment' names both the feeling itself and the cause of it. Though closely related to shame and humiliation, embarrassment generally implies something milder and more situational — a blush rather than lasting disgrace. Curiously, the word's origins lie in the idea of obstruction or entanglement, from Spanish 'embarazar' and French 'embarrasser', meaning to hinder or block.
To cause someone to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed, especially in a social situation.
"His loud singing embarrassed her in front of the neighbours."
Commonly used transitively with a personal object or reflexively; the derived adjective 'embarrassed' and noun 'embarrassment' carry most of the everyday load.
(Dated) To hamper, obstruct, or complicate, as in affairs or dealings.
"Financial difficulties continued to embarrass the estate for years after his death."
This older sense survives mainly in historical or literary writing; readers may find it surprising in modern prose.
Embarrass comes from a French and Spanish word meaning to block, obstruct, or get tangled up — so when you're embarrassed, you're literally 'tangled up' in the moment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of embarrass
Embarrass entered English in the late 17th century, borrowed from French 'embarrasser', which in turn derived from the Spanish 'embarazar'. These trace back to Portuguese 'embaraçar', formed from the Latin prefix 'in-' plus 'baraça' or 'barrus', terms associated with a bar or obstacle — giving the original sense of blocking, obstructing, or entangling. English first used it literally to mean to hamper or encumber (a sense that survives only rarely today), before the dominant modern sense of causing social discomfort took hold in the 18th century.
Related word forms
How embarrass is actually used
The word is neutral in register and works in both formal and informal contexts. It is most often used with a personal object ('embarrass me/him/them') or reflexively ('she embarrassed herself'). The past participle 'embarrassed' frequently functions as an adjective describing a person's state. Note the spelling: double 'r' and double 's' — a common source of misspelling.
Easily confused with embarrass
Embrace means to hug or accept something willingly, while embarrass means to make someone feel self-conscious or ashamed.