What does embarrassing mean?
"Embarrassing" is an adjective used to describe something that causes feelings of awkwardness, shame, or self-consciousness, typically in social situations. An embarrassing moment might involve forgetting someone's name, tripping in public, or having a private remark overheard. The word carries a strongly negative but usually mild connotation — most embarrassing situations are uncomfortable rather than serious — and it pairs naturally with intensifiers like "deeply", "highly", and "utterly". It works equally well in casual conversation and formal writing, describing everything from personal gaffes to institutional blunders, as in "an embarrassing defeat" or "embarrassing revelations". The word derives from the verb "embarrass", which English adopted via French from Spanish "embarazar", originally meaning to obstruct or hamper — an image of being blocked or impeded that still echoes faintly in the modern sense of feeling socially stuck. Its everyday utility makes it one of the most frequently used emotion-related adjectives in English.
adjectiveCausing someone to feel awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious, especially in a social situation.
- Causing someone to feel awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious in front of others (e.g. an embarrassing question).
"It was embarrassing when my phone rang loudly during the ceremony."
"She told an embarrassing story about his first day at school."
"Losing his train of thought mid-speech was deeply embarrassing for the seasoned politician."
The English borrowed 'embarrassing' from French, which took it from Spanish 'embarazar' — literally to block or hamper, from an Italian word for a bar placed across a road.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of embarrassing
"Embarrassing" comes from the verb "embarrass", which entered English in the late 17th century via French "embarrasser", itself borrowed from Spanish "embarazar" meaning to obstruct or hinder. The Spanish term traces back further to Italian "imbarrare", "to bar", formed from Latin "barra", meaning a bar or barrier. Originally the English verb referred to obstruction or entanglement in general, including financial difficulties, before narrowing toward its modern social sense of causing self-conscious discomfort. Related words sharing this root include "barrier" and "barracks".
Related word forms
How embarrassing is actually used
A common adjective in both formal and informal registers; intensified by adverbs such as 'deeply', 'highly', or 'utterly'. The related verb is 'embarrass'.
Easily confused with embarrassing
'Embezzling' means stealing money entrusted to one's care, while 'embarrassing' means causing awkwardness or shame.