Embarrassment is the uncomfortable feeling of being judged by others for a social mistake or for being noticed too much.
Word in 30 Seconds
- A feeling of awkwardness or self-consciousness from social mistakes.
- Can describe the emotion or the cause of the emotion.
- Often involves physical signs like blushing or looking away.
Overview
Embarrassment is a common social emotion experienced when one's public image is temporarily damaged or when one feels exposed in an awkward situation. Unlike deep shame, which often involves a moral failing, embarrassment is usually tied to minor social mistakes or unexpected attention. 2) Usage Patterns: It is frequently used with verbs like 'cause,' 'feel,' 'suffer,' or 'hide.' It can be an uncountable noun referring to the emotion (e.g., 'He blushed with embarrassment') or a countable noun referring to a specific event or person (e.g., 'The incident was a major embarrassment for the company'). 3) Common Contexts: It appears in everyday social interactions, such as tripping in public, forgetting someone's name, or having a secret revealed. In formal contexts, it often describes political or corporate scandals that damage a reputation. 4) Similar Words Comparison: While 'shame' implies a deeper sense of being a 'bad person,' embarrassment is more about 'looking foolish.' 'Humiliation' is a much stronger form of embarrassment, often involving a loss of dignity or being intentionally put down by others. 'Awkwardness' refers to the clunky or uncomfortable nature of a situation itself, whereas embarrassment is the emotional response to it.
Examples
He went red with embarrassment when he realized he was in the wrong room.
everydayHe went red with embarrassment when he realized he was in the wrong room.
The company faced public embarrassment after the data leak.
formalThe company faced public embarrassment after the data leak.
I nearly died of embarrassment when my mom showed my baby photos to my friends.
informalI nearly died of embarrassment when my mom showed my baby photos to my friends.
The study explores the psychological effects of social embarrassment on adolescent behavior.
academicThe study explores the psychological effects of social embarrassment on adolescent behavior.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
to my embarrassment
used to introduce a story about a mistake you made
an embarrassment of riches
having too much of a good thing
Often Confused With
Shame is a deeper, more painful emotion about one's character; embarrassment is about social mistakes.
Humiliation is more intense and usually involves being shamed publicly by others.
Grammar Patterns
How to Use It
Usage Notes
The word is neutral and can be used in almost any setting. In formal writing, it often refers to political or professional scandals. In informal speech, people often use the phrase 'how embarrassing!' to react to a story.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is spelling it with only one 'r' or one 's'. Another mistake is using the adjective 'embarrassing' (the cause) when you mean 'embarrassed' (the feeling).
Tips
Remember the double letters in the spelling
Think of the phrase 'Really Red and Super Shy' to remember the double 'r' and double 's'.
Don't confuse with 'embarazada' in Spanish
In Spanish, 'embarazada' means pregnant. In English, 'embarrassed' only means feeling awkward or ashamed.
Social norms and blushing
In many English-speaking cultures, blushing is seen as a sign of honesty, showing that the person cares about social rules.
Word Origin
Derived from the French word 'embarrasser', which originally meant to block or obstruct, coming from the Spanish 'embarazar'.
Cultural Context
In many Western cultures, people often try to 'laugh off' embarrassment to regain their social standing and show they don't take themselves too seriously.
Memory Tip
Remember: Double 'R' for 'Really Red' and Double 'S' for 'Super Shy'.
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIt is one of the most commonly misspelled words in English. Remember that it has a double 'r' and a double 's' (embarrassment).
Embarrassment is usually about social blunders and is temporary. Shame is a deeper feeling of guilt or being a bad person.
This is an idiom meaning you have so many good choices or so much of something that it is actually difficult to choose or manage.
It can be both. Use it as uncountable for the feeling ('She felt embarrassment') and countable for a specific person or event ('He is an embarrassment to the family').
Test Yourself
To my ___, I realized my shirt was inside out during the meeting.
'To my [noun]' is a common structure to describe how someone felt about an event.
Choose the best option:
In this sentence, 'an embarrassment' refers to the specific event that caused the feeling.
red / face / her / with / turned / embarrassment
The standard structure is Subject + Verb + Adjective + Prepositional Phrase.
Score: /3
Summary
Embarrassment is the uncomfortable feeling of being judged by others for a social mistake or for being noticed too much.
- A feeling of awkwardness or self-consciousness from social mistakes.
- Can describe the emotion or the cause of the emotion.
- Often involves physical signs like blushing or looking away.
Remember the double letters in the spelling
Think of the phrase 'Really Red and Super Shy' to remember the double 'r' and double 's'.
Don't confuse with 'embarazada' in Spanish
In Spanish, 'embarazada' means pregnant. In English, 'embarrassed' only means feeling awkward or ashamed.
Social norms and blushing
In many English-speaking cultures, blushing is seen as a sign of honesty, showing that the person cares about social rules.
Examples
4 of 4He went red with embarrassment when he realized he was in the wrong room.
He went red with embarrassment when he realized he was in the wrong room.
The company faced public embarrassment after the data leak.
The company faced public embarrassment after the data leak.
I nearly died of embarrassment when my mom showed my baby photos to my friends.
I nearly died of embarrassment when my mom showed my baby photos to my friends.
The study explores the psychological effects of social embarrassment on adolescent behavior.
The study explores the psychological effects of social embarrassment on adolescent behavior.
