embarrassed

embarrassed — adjective

1. feeling uncomfortable and slightly ashamed after doing or saying something that

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling uncomfortable and slightly ashamed after doing or saying something that makes you look silly or awkward, especially when other people notice it.

Example

Jude felt embarrassed when he called his teacher 'Mom' in front of the whole class.

felt embarrassed when... — past-tense social-faux-pas scenario

Hari gave an embarrassed laugh after tripping over his own backpack in the hallway.

embarrassed + noun — attributive use before a noun

Common collocations
  • feel / look / seem embarrassed
  • embarrassed laugh / smile / silence
  • too embarrassed to speak / look / reply
  • embarrassed about / by / at something
Synonyms
  • self-conscious

    focuses on feeling watched or judged by others, not necessarily after a mistake

  • awkward

    emphasises the social discomfort itself rather than the emotional reaction

  • mortified

    much stronger intensity; suggests extreme humiliation

Antonyms
  • proud

    opposite feeling of positive self-regard in a social situation

Grammar Patterns

be + embarrassed

feel + embarrassed

too + embarrassed + to-infinitive

embarrassed + about / by / at

Usage Note

Distinguish from ashamed: embarrassed describes the discomfort of an awkward social situation, while ashamed involves a deeper feeling of guilt or moral failure. Compare 'I felt embarrassed when I tripped in the hallway' with 'I felt ashamed of my dishonest answer.'

Common Mistakes

I was so embarrassed for my bad grades that I hid the report.' (if feeling guilt).
I was ashamed of my bad grades.
Use ashamed when the feeling involves guilt or regret about a personal failure, not just social awkwardness.

2. not having enough money to pay for basic things or to cover what you need, often

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

not having enough money to pay for basic things or to cover what you need, often only for a short period.

Example

After the expensive car repairs, Adina was embarrassed and could not afford groceries that week.

was embarrassed + could not afford — clearly signalled financial context

The school club was embarrassed for funds and had to cancel its annual trip.

embarrassed for funds — fixed collocation

Common collocations
  • embarrassed for funds / money / cash
  • financially embarrassed
  • find + oneself + embarrassed
Synonyms
  • broke

    more common and informal; implies a more serious lack of money

  • short

    less dramatic — means not quite enough, often temporary

  • strapped

    colloquial; suggests a tight budget rather than complete lack

Antonyms
  • well-off

    describes someone who has plenty of money

  • comfortable

    suggests a secure financial position without excess

Grammar Patterns

be + embarrassed

find + oneself + embarrassed

embarrassed + for + noun (funds / money / cash)

Usage Note

This sense is informal and far less common than the 'feeling awkward' sense. The financial meaning is always signalled by context — words like funds, cash, afford, bills, or payday in the same sentence make the meaning clear. It is not used before a noun (an embarrassed person cannot mean a broke person in this sense).

Common Mistakes

I am embarrassed this month.' (ambiguous).
I am embarrassed for cash this month.
Always add context (funds, money, cash) so readers know you mean the financial sense, not the social one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Embarrassed, ashamed, self-conscious, and mortified all describe negative feelings about oneself in relation to others, but they differ in cause and intensity. Embarrassed is the mildest and most common — it describes the brief discomfort of a public mistake or awkward moment, like tripping in a restaurant. Ashamed is deeper and has a moral dimension: you feel ashamed when you believe you have done something wrong or failed a standard you value. Self-conscious isn't about a specific event — it is a general awareness of being watched or judged, which makes you feel awkward or nervous. Mortified is the most intense, suggesting extreme humiliation so strong that you wish you could disappear. For example: 'I was embarrassed when I forgot her name,' but 'I was ashamed of lying to my parents,' 'I felt self-conscious in my new outfit,' and 'I was mortified when my speech microphone failed in front of five hundred people.'

embarrassed ↗ashamed ↗self-consciousmortified

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel embarrassed
  • look embarrassed
  • too embarrassed to
  • find oneself embarrassed

Prepositions

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Embarrassed comes from the French word embarrasser, meaning 'to block' or 'to obstruct,' which itself traces back to the Italian imbarrazzare — to put someone in a difficult spot, like a barrier blocking a path. English adopted it in the 1600s for the feeling of being mentally or emotionally 'blocked' by an awkward social situation. By the 1800s, the word also picked up a financial meaning: being 'blocked' or hindered by a lack of money.