embarrassed
- 01 B1 Intermediate
feeling uncomfortable, shy, or ashamed because of something you did or because of what people think of you.
feeling self-conscious, ashamed, or socially awkward. This is a gradable adjective often followed by the prepositions 'about' or 'by'.
Simple“I felt so embarrassed when I realized my shirt was on backwards all morning.”
In context“He was visibly embarrassed by the public praise, shifting uncomfortably in his seat while the director recounted his achievements to the entire staff.”
UsageCommonly follows 'feel' or 'be'; often takes 'about' for the cause or 'to' before an infinitive verb.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'pregnant' in Romance languages (e.g., Spanish 'embarazada'). Always clarify that in English it only refers to social discomfort.
PitfallI am very embarrassing about my mistake. I am very embarrassed about my mistake.Use 'embarrassed' to describe how you feel. Use 'embarrassing' to describe the situation that caused the feeling.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
having a lot of debt or not enough money to pay what you owe.
beset by financial difficulties or heavily burdened by debt. Usually appears in the phrase 'financially embarrassed'.
Simple“The old family was financially embarrassed and had to sell their large house.”
In context“The firm found itself somewhat embarrassed by a sudden lack of liquidity, forcing the partners to seek an emergency loan to cover the month's payroll.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used with the adverb 'financially'.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern speech and mostly found in 19th-century literature or very formal, old-fashioned financial reports.
embarrassed vs embarrassing — Embarrassed is the internal feeling of shame; embarrassing is the external quality that causes it.
Past participle of embarrass.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
For Spanish speakers embarazada means “pregnant” — The resemblance to 'embarrassed' is coincidental; the two words are unrelated. The English adjective denotes self-conscious shame, which Spanish expresses with 'avergonzado/a'.
Spanish uses the verb 'dar' (dar vergüenza) or 'estar' (estar avergonzado); learners often incorrectly transfer the reflexive 'me embarazo' which in Spanish carries a completely different meaning related to conception.