Synonyms for embarrass
ɛmˈbær əsem·bar·rass

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. embarrassverb

   to humiliate; to disrupt somebody's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely; to disconcert; to abash

   The crowd's laughter and jeers embarrassed him.

   Synonyms:
   discomfit, humiliate, shame, disconcert, abash

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. embarrass

   Any sense of inferiority abashes, with or without the sense of wrong. The poor are abashed at the splendor of wealth, the ignorant at the learning of the wise. "I might have been abashed by their authority." Gladstone Homeric Synchron., p. 72. [Harper & Bros. '76.] To confuse is to bring into a state of mental bewilderment; to confound is to overwhelm the mental faculties; to daunt is to subject to a certain degree of fear. Embarrass is a strong word, signifying primarily hamper, hinder, impede. A solitary thinker may be confused by some difficulty in a subject, or some mental defect; one is embarrassed in the presence of others, and because of their presence. Confusion is of the intellect, embarrassment of the feelings. A witness may be embarrassed by annoying personalities, so as to become confused in statements. To mortify a person is to bring upon him a painful sense of humiliation, whether because of his own or another's fault or failure. A pupil is confused by a perplexing question, a general confounded by overwhelming defeat. A hostess is discomposed by the tardiness of guests, a speaker disconcerted by a failure of memory. The criminal who is not abashed at detection may be daunted by the officer's weapon. Sudden joy may bewilder, but will not abash. The true worshiper is humbled rather than abashed before God. The parent is mortified by the child's rudeness, the child abashed at the parent's reproof. The embarrassed speaker finds it difficult to proceed. The mob is overawed by the military, the hypocrite shamed by exposure. "A man whom no denial, no scorn could abash." Fielding Amelia bk. iii, ch. 9, p. 300. [Bell & Sons '71.] Compare CHAGRIN; HINDER.

   Synonyms:
   abash, bewilder, chagrin, confound, confuse, daunt, discompose, disconcert, dishearten, humble, humiliate, mortify, overawe, shame

   Antonyms:
   animate, buoy, cheer, embolden, encourage, inspirit, rally, uphold

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. embarrass

   Synonyms:
   entangle, misconcert, trouble, perplex, contuse, hamper, clog, distress, puzzle, encumber

   Antonyms:
   extricate, liberate, expedite, facilitate, accelerate, assist, disencumber

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. embarrass, abashverb

   cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious

   Synonyms:
   stymy, stymie, hinder, block, obstruct, blockade, abash

2. obstruct, blockade, block, hinder, stymie, stymy, embarrassverb

   hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

   "His brother blocked him at every turn"

   Synonyms:
   block up, lug, immobilize, seal off, obturate, handicap, jam, block off, close up, blank out, freeze, abash, obstruct, deflect, parry, kibosh, draw a blank, hamper, hinder, impede, block, forget, stop, stuff, stymy, blockade, immobilise, bar, occlude, barricade, halt, choke up, stymie

Matched Categories

1. • Prevent
   • Upset

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. embarrassverb

   Synonyms:
   perplex, entangle, beset, make intricate, make difficult

2. embarrassverb

   Synonyms:
   harass, distress, trouble, vex, annoy, plague, hamper, clog

3. embarrassverb

   Synonyms:
   confuse, disconcert, confound, nonplus, pose, dumfound, dumfounder

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. embarrassverb

   Synonyms:
   disconcert, discompose, mortify, abash, chagrin, nonplus, pose, perplex, impede, obstruct, annoy, involve, harass, hamper, incumber

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "embarrass":

   humiliate, shame

How to pronounce embarrass?

How to say embarrass in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use embarrass in a sentence?

1. Michael Singleton:

   I was embarrassed a little bit, until she just started talking to me when we got home, (She was) just telling me she did it because she cared about me. And it wasn't to embarrass me, but because she cared.

2. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio:

   I will never embarrass you, i will never do anything that makes you cringe and say ... 'I can't believe that's who we picked.'.

3. Los Angeles:

   Well, first of all to Don, that’s why you’re not coaching. Let’s put it that way, you don’t let a guy go out there and just almost embarrass himself. My job is to help these guys develop, and that’s what I ’m doing.

4. Clay Aiken:

   I also believe we need more civility in our politics, and North Carolina deserves representatives in Washington who use their positions to make people's lives better, not to advance polarizing positions that embarrass our state and stand in the way of real progress.

5. Grish Gregoran:

   Trump is not welcome in Britain, we wanted to embarrass him and I think we have done that today. We know how sensitive he is. It is horrible to hear the inflammatory language that he uses and I am embarrassed that (Prime Minister) Theresa May has done so much to welcome him.