embarrassment

embarrassment — noun

1. the awkward, uncomfortable, or self-conscious feeling that arises after you do s

1.nounB1
Definition

the awkward, uncomfortable, or self-conscious feeling that arises after you do something clumsy in a social setting, or when your faults or mistakes are exposed to other people

Example

Esme felt a deep embarrassment after she accidentally sent the private email to all staff.

uncountable: felt + embarrassment; describes the feeling

Walid tried to hide his embarrassment by quickly changing the subject.

hide + embarrassment; common collocation

Common collocations
  • deep embarrassment
  • hide one's embarrassment
  • cause embarrassment
  • flush/blush with embarrassment
  • to one's embarrassment
  • suffer embarrassment
Synonyms
  • shame

    stronger moral or ethical weight; embarrassment is milder and usually social

  • humiliation

    implies a deliberate act by someone else that makes you feel inferior in public

  • awkwardness

    focuses on social discomfort rather than a sense of exposure or fault

  • mortification

    much stronger; suggests extreme, almost unbearable embarrassment

Antonyms
  • pride

    a feeling of satisfaction and worth, the opposite of shame or social discomfort

  • confidence

    self-assurance in social situations, free of the self-doubt that causes embarrassment

Grammar Patterns

embarrassment + about + noun/gerund

sense/feeling + of embarrassment

Usage Note

This sense can be uncountable when referring to the feeling itself (e.g. 'She blushed with embarrassment') or countable when referring to a specific event that causes the feeling (e.g. 'The whole situation was an embarrassment'). The fixed phrase 'to one's embarrassment' is a common sentence adverb meaning 'causing one to feel embarrassed.'

Common Mistakes

I felt embarrassment of my mistake.
I felt embarrassed about my mistake.
After linking verbs like 'feel', use the adjective 'embarrassed' instead of the noun 'embarrassment'.
She tried to avoid the embarrassment.
She tried to avoid embarrassment.
When referring to the general feeling, 'embarrassment' is uncountable and does not take an article.

2. a situation in which you have so many good or desirable options that choosing on

2.nounC1
Definition

a situation in which you have so many good or desirable options that choosing one becomes difficult — used only in the fixed expression 'an embarrassment of riches'

Example

The city's restaurant scene offers an embarrassment of riches, with over sixty cuisines to choose from.

fixed phrase: an embarrassment of [riches / good options]

The jury faced an embarrassment of riches when all twelve shortlisted films were excellent.

Synonyms
  • abundance

    neutral term for a large quantity, without the 'difficulty-to-choose' nuance

  • overabundance

    suggests too much of something, often with a mildly negative tone

  • surplus

    practical, economic term; lacks the positive-desirable connotation of 'embarrassment of riches'

Antonyms
  • dearth

    a scarce or insufficient supply; the opposite of abundance

  • shortage

    practical term for a lack of something needed

Grammar Patterns

an embarrassment of + plural noun phrase

Usage Note

Almost exclusively appears in the fixed phrase 'an embarrassment of riches.' The noun 'riches' is rarely replaced with other words, though creative variations (e.g. 'an embarrassment of choices') occur in informal writing. Always singular and preceded by 'an.' This is an idiom-like sense, not a productive grammatical pattern.

Common Mistakes

The shop had an embarrassment of customers.
The shop had an embarrassment of riches.
'Riches' is the standard noun used in this fixed phrase; substituting other nouns sounds unnatural.
There were embarrassments of choices.
There was an embarrassment of choices.
The phrase is always singular, even though it describes a plural situation.

3. a person who, through their actions, appearance, or circumstances, makes the gro

3.nounB2
Definition

a person who, through their actions, appearance, or circumstances, makes the group they belong to feel ashamed, uncomfortable, or socially let down

Example

The politician's outdated remarks made him an embarrassment to his entire party.

an embarrassment + to + [group]

Despite his success abroad, the athlete became an embarrassment to the nation after the scandal.

Common collocations
  • an embarrassment to the family
  • an embarrassment to the team
  • a bit of an embarrassment
  • considered an embarrassment
  • become an embarrassment
Synonyms
  • disgrace

    stronger moral condemnation; implies the person has brought shame through serious wrongdoing

  • shame

    similar to disgrace, often used in family contexts ('a shame to the family')

  • liability

    focuses on the practical problems the person causes rather than the social discomfort

Antonyms
  • asset

    a person who brings value and pride to a group

  • credit

    a person whose behaviour brings honour and respect

Grammar Patterns

be + an embarrassment + to + noun phrase

be + an embarrassment + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Always used as a countable noun with an article or determiner ('an embarrassment,' 'a bit of an embarrassment'). The person described is typically seen as letting down a group they belong to — family, team, political party, or nation. The tone is strongly negative and often expresses disappointment or frustration.

Common Mistakes

He is embarrassment to his family.
He is an embarrassment to his family.
In this sense, 'embarrassment' is always countable and needs an article ('a'/'an').
She is an embarrassment person.
She is an embarrassment to the team.
'Embarrassment' is a noun, not an adjective; use the preposition 'to' to connect the person to the affected group.
Idioms

an embarrassment of riches

idiom

A situation where there are so many good options that it is hard to pick one.

The library has an embarrassment of riches with thousands of new books.

Did the festival offer an embarrassment of riches in musical performances?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words sit on a spectrum of social discomfort. Embarrassment is the mildest and most common — it describes the uncomfortable feeling after a minor social slip, like forgetting someone's name or tripping in public. Shame carries a heavier moral weight: you feel shame when you believe you have done something genuinely wrong or failed a core value. Humiliation is distinct because another person actively causes it — a boss criticising you in front of colleagues, for instance. Awkwardness focuses on the social tension of a situation rather than personal fault; an awkward silence can make a room full of people feel uneasy without anyone being at fault. Mortification is the strongest term, describing the feeling so intense it is almost unbearable — the kind of embarrassment you replay in your head for years. In everyday conversation, a person might say 'I was mortified' to describe a wedding toast that went badly, while 'I felt awkward' would fit a first date with little to talk about.

embarrassment ↗shame ↗humiliationawkwardnessmortification

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'embarrassment' traces back through French 'embarrasser' (to block or obstruct), which came from Italian 'imbarrazzo' (a bar or obstacle), derived from 'imbarrare' (to bar), based on Latin 'barra' (a bar or crossbeam). The original meaning was physical — getting stuck or blocked, like a cart caught in mud. By the 17th century, English speakers had extended the idea to mental and social situations: feeling 'blocked' or 'stuck' in social interactions produced the modern sense of awkward discomfort. The financial sense (difficulty caused by debt) and the medical sense (impaired function) are 18th-century extensions from the same root, though both are now rare in everyday use.