embarrassment
gb/ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/ us/ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
B1
English
~ 8900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
feeling of shame or awkwardness
A bad feeling of being shy, stupid, or ashamed in front of other people.
Usage pattern:
to feel [embarrassment] about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "embarrassment" (the noun) with "embarrassing" (the adjective). For example, they may say *"I am an embarrassment"* when they mean *"I am embarrassed"* or *"It is an embarrassment"* when they mean *"It is embarrassing"*. Also, some learners use "shy" when they really mean a moment of strong embarrassment in a specific situation.
Synonyms
shame (Often stronger and more moral; can suggest guilt as well as social awkwardness.)
|
awkwardness (Focuses more on feeling uncomfortable or not knowing what to do, and less on moral judgment.)
|
self-consciousness (Highlights being very aware of yourself and concerned about how others see you.)
Antonyms
confidence (A feeling of being sure of yourself and not worried about what others think.)
|
pride (A positive feeling about yourself or your actions, the opposite of feeling ashamed.)
Collocations
deep embarrassment
|feel embarrassment
|cause embarrassment
|die of embarrassment
|with embarrassment
|to my embarrassment
Themes
emotions
|social
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She could not hide her embarrassment when everyone started singing happy birthday to her.
- His voice shook with embarrassment as he tried to explain the mistake.
- To my great embarrassment, I realized I had been calling her by the wrong name for months.
- He turned red with embarrassment when his parents showed baby photos to his friends.
- The interviewer's personal question caused visible embarrassment on the candidate's face.
Learner examples
- I felt strong embarrassment when I fell in front of the class.
- Her face was red with embarrassment after she forgot her lines.
- To my embarrassment, I arrived at the party an hour early.
- He laughed to hide his embarrassment.
- She looked down in embarrassment and did not say anything.
Noun
B2
entity
2
person or thing causing shame
A person, thing, or situation that makes people feel ashamed or look bad.
Usage pattern:
[something] is an embarrassment to [someone/group]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He is very embarrassment"* instead of *"He is an embarrassment"* (noun) or *"He is very embarrassing"* (adjective). Remember that "an embarrassment" is usually followed by "to" (e.g., "an embarrassment to his friends").
Synonyms
disgrace (Stronger and more formal, often used for serious loss of respect or honor.)
|
shame (Emphasizes loss of respect or bad image, sometimes more moral or serious than "embarrassment".)
|
liability (Focuses more on causing problems or disadvantage than on the emotional feeling of shame.)
Antonyms
credit (Someone or something that makes a person or group look good and be admired, the opposite of being an embarrassment.)
|
asset (Something or someone that is helpful and valuable, rather than causing shame or problems.)
Collocations
an embarrassment to his family
|a national embarrassment
|a political embarrassment
|a constant embarrassment
|a source of embarrassment
Themes
social
|reputation
|daily life
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The scandal quickly became a major political embarrassment for the government.
- His rude jokes at the dinner table were an embarrassment to the whole family.
- The broken public transport system is a national embarrassment.
- The outdated website is an embarrassment to a company that calls itself innovative.
- She felt like an embarrassment to her team after missing the winning shot.
Learner examples
- His behavior at the party was an embarrassment to his parents.
- The old, dirty stadium is an embarrassment to the city.
- The failed project is a big embarrassment for the company.
- He thinks his car is an embarrassment because it is so old.
- The spelling mistakes on the sign are an embarrassment to the school.
Noun
formal
C1
state
3
state of financial difficulty
A money problem, when a person or company does not have enough money to pay bills or debts.
Usage pattern:
in [financial] embarrassment
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize this more formal money-related sense and think it always means a feeling of shame. In business or news texts, "financial embarrassment" usually means money problems, not just feeling bad.
Synonyms
financial difficulty (Neutral and descriptive; common in both everyday and formal use.)
|
insolvency (More technical and legal; usually for serious, formal financial failure.)
Antonyms
prosperity (A state of being financially successful and comfortable, the opposite of money problems.)
|
financial security (A safe money situation with enough to meet all needs and obligations.)
Collocations
financial embarrassment
|a state of embarrassment
|suffer embarrassment
|face financial embarrassment
Themes
money
|business
|problems
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The charity fell into financial embarrassment after several large donors withdrew their support.
- Rising costs left many households in serious embarrassment by the end of the year.
- The company admitted to a period of financial embarrassment but insisted it would avoid bankruptcy.
- A sudden medical emergency can quickly cause financial embarrassment for low-income families.
- He borrowed money from friends to avoid public embarrassment about his financial situation.
Learner examples
- The small shop closed because of financial embarrassment.
- After losing her job, she was in financial embarrassment.
- Many students are in financial embarrassment because of high rent.
- The restaurant is in financial embarrassment and may close soon.
- The family’s hospital bills caused financial embarrassment.
Grammar
Dictionary form
embarrassment
IPA
GB/ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
US/ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
Syllables & stress
em - bar - rass - ment (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (bar)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: embarrassment
- Plural: embarrassment, embarrassments
Word family
Forms
embarrassments
noun
Core family
Related words
embarrassingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unembarrassed
adjective
Expressions
an embarrassment of riches
1/ən ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt əv ɹˈɪt͡ʃɪz/
idiom
too many good things to choose
A situation where you have more good choices or good things than you need, so it is hard to decide what to choose.
Examples
- With three excellent job offers, she found herself facing an embarrassment of riches.
- The city has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to museums and art galleries.
- Publishers now have an embarrassment of riches in new fantasy novels to choose from.
die of embarrassment
1/dˈaɪ əv ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
fixed phrase
informal
feel extremely embarrassed
To feel extremely embarrassed, in a very strong or funny way (not really die).
Examples
- I thought I would die of embarrassment when my phone rang loudly in the middle of the concert.
- She nearly died of embarrassment when her parents started dancing at the school party.
- He said he would die of embarrassment if the teacher read his message out loud.
financial embarrassment
1/fɪnˈænʃəl ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
state of money difficulties
A formal way to say that a person, company, or group has money problems and cannot easily pay what they need to pay.
Examples
- The charity’s financial embarrassment forced it to cut several important programs.
- They admitted to a period of financial embarrassment after sales dropped sharply.
- The report warned that many households were on the edge of financial embarrassment.
to someone's embarrassment
1/tə sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɪmbˈɛɹəsmənt/
fixed phrase
in a way that embarrasses someone
Used to say that something made a person feel embarrassed.
Examples
- To my embarrassment, I realized I was in the wrong meeting room.
- To his embarrassment, the video of his speech was shared online.
- To their embarrassment, they discovered they had been pronouncing the client’s name wrong for years.