embarrass[verb]Synonyms: shame, discomfit, disconcert, distress, fluster, humiliate, mortify, show up
(informal)
Contrasted words: calm, relieve, soothe
Related Idioms: put on the spot, put to the blush
Related Words: agitate,
bother,
discompose,
flurry,
fluster,
perturb,
nonplus,
chagrin,
distress,
vex,
queer [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
em‧bar‧rass /ɪmˈbærəs/
verb [transitive] [
Word Family: adjective:
embarrassed,
embarrassing;
verb:
embarrass;
noun:
embarrassment;
adverb:
embarrassingly]
[
Date: 1600-1700;
Language: French;
Origin: embarrasser, from Spanish embarazar, perhaps from Vulgar Latin barra 'bar']
1. to make someone feel ashamed, nervous, or uncomfortable, especially in front of other people:
He didn’t want to embarrass her by asking questions.2. to do something that causes problems for a government, political organization, or politician, and makes them look bad:
The revelations in the press have embarrassed the government. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲