embarrassment

noun

im-ˈber-əs-mənt How to pronounce embarrassment (audio)
Definition of embarrassmentnext
1
as in confusion
the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable experienced the great embarrassment of tripping while on stage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult a big suitcase filled with clothes proved to be more an embarrassment than a convenience on my trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of embarrassment And with many of these videos racking up millions of views, the ensuing embarrassment for the unwitting subjects can be palpable. — David MacK, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 The embarrassment was even more tightly packed into the season’s final month, when the Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight games by 23 or more points in a single season. — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Vilanch mostly remembers the embarrassment of realizing he’d been taken. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 Nightmares, recurring dreams, dreams of embarrassment, and dreams of flying—each might have a different purpose, still unknown to us. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for embarrassment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassment
  1. confusion
  2. obstacle
  3. humiliation
  4. hurdle
  5. discomfort
  6. obstruction
  7. unease
  8. interference
Noun
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • Bond yields Persistent inflation, tariffs and whipsawing gas prices are not the only obstacles complicating the task for the Fed.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The emotional incompatibility of self-care Applebaum said that even those who can overcome the practical obstacles often still struggle to take care of themselves.
    — Elissa Strauss, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Noun
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed.
    — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliation
Noun
  • But Oxley, writing in a commentary, cautioned that there are logistical hurdles and said the value of Venezuela’s reserves may have been exaggerated under former President Hugo Chavez.
    — Collin Binkley, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Secondly, insurance and safety inspections remain critical hurdles.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurdle
Noun
  • King seemed stranded in a faraway world, tortured by a discomfort that no amount of affection could soothe.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Bidets may also ease discomfort from hemorrhoids, fistulas and anal fissures, and help people with chronic diarrhea or conditions that require frequent wiping.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of discomfort
Noun
  • In December 2019, the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden while withholding military aid.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Her boyfriend, 18-year-old Royce Moser, has been charged with homicide and counts related to tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, obstruction and conspiracy.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstruction
Noun
  • Years later, the actress Jenny McCarthy popularized the idea that parental unease about vaccines was being dismissed by the medical establishment.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Bocarsly acknowledged why government collection of Jewish identity data can create unease.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • First, legislative majorities overrode the Court, repeatedly ignoring its rulings and adjusting the number of Justices to prevent its interference.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This month, the bureau's parent agency, the Commerce Department, quietly cut language banning political interference from the department's scientific integrity policy, NPR has learned.
    — Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of interference

Phrases Containing embarrassment

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embarrassing
embarrassment
embarrassment of riches
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Cite this Entry

“Embarrassment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassment. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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