embarrass
gb/ɪmbˈɛɹəs/ us/ɪmbˈɛɹəs/
B1
English
~ 1100
zavarba hoz, kínos helyzetbe hoz, megszégyenít, nehéz helyzetbe hoz, akadályoz, megnehezít
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to embarrass [someone]
He didn’t mean to embarrass her during the meeting.
Nem akarta zavarba hozni őt a megbeszélésen.
The comedian’s joke embarrassed several people in the audience.
A komikus vicce több embert is zavarba hozott a közönség soraiban.
She was embarrassed when her phone rang loudly during the ceremony.
Learner examples
I don’t want to embarrass my friend.
Nem szeretném zavarba hozni a barátomat.
He embarrassed me when he told that story.
Zavarba hozott, amikor elmesélte azt a történetet.
She embarrassed her brother in front of his teacher.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'embarrass' with 'embrace' because they look similar but have completely different meanings.
Meaning
Make someone feel awkward or ashamed
Collocations
deeply embarrass
|embarrass badly
|embarrass in public
|embarrass a friend
Synonyms
humiliate (Stronger and more negative; implies causing loss of dignity.)
|
mortify (More formal and intense; often used for extreme embarrassment.)
Antonyms
comfort (Helps someone feel relaxed and at ease instead of uncomfortable.)
|
reassure (Makes someone feel less nervous or worried rather than self-conscious.)
Themes
emotions
|social
|daily life
|relationships
|communication
Definition
To make someone feel bad or shy in front of other people.
To make someone feel uncomfortable, self-conscious, or ashamed, often in a social situation.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to embarrass [someone/something]
The sudden leak of information embarrassed the administration.
Az információ hirtelen kiszivárgása nehéz helyzetbe hozta a kormányzatot.
This mistake could embarrass the whole team before the client.
Ez a hiba nehéz helyzetbe hozhatja az egész csapatot az ügyfél előtt.
The scandal embarrassed the company’s leadership.
Learner examples
The news embarrassed the government.
A hír nehéz helyzetbe hozta a kormányt.
The error embarrassed the team at work.
A hiba nehéz helyzetbe hozta a csapatot a munkahelyen.
The problem embarrassed the company in front of customers.
Meaning
Cause problems or difficulties
Collocations
embarrass the government
|embarrass the company
|embarrass an opponent
Synonyms
hinder (Focuses on slowing progress rather than social discomfort.)
|
inconvenience (Milder; means to cause minor trouble or bother.)
Antonyms
assist (Helps rather than creates problems.)
|
support (Provides help instead of causing trouble.)
Themes
problems
|business
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To make something difficult for someone.
To create problems or difficulties for someone, often making a situation harder to manage.
Grammar
Dictionary form
embarrass
IPA
GB/ɪmbˈɛɹəs/
US/ɪmbˈɛɹəs/
Syllables & stress
em - bar - rass (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (bar)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: embarrass
- 3rd Person Singular: embarrasses
- Present Participle: embarrassing
- Past: embarrassed
Word family
Forms
Core family
embarrassment
noun B1
Related words
embarrassingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unembarrassed
adjective
Expressions
embarrass oneself
1/ɪmbˈɛɹəs wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Make yourself look foolish or awkward
To do something that makes you feel bad or shy in front of others.
Examples
- He embarrassed himself by singing off-key.
- I hope I don’t embarrass myself during the speech.
be embarrassed about
1/bˈi ɪmbˈɛɹəst əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
Feel ashamed about something
To feel bad or shy because of something you did or have.
Examples
- She was embarrassed about her poor performance.
- She is embarrassed about her accent when she speaks English.
- I’m embarrassed about forgetting his name.
- I was embarrassed about the mistake in my email to my boss.