English Explanatory Dictionary

embarrassment

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation.
  2. A person or thing which is the cause of humiliation to another.
  3. A large collection of good or valuable things, especially one that exceeds requirements or causes some sort of hindrance.
  4. A state of confusion; hesitation; uncertainty.
  5. Impairment of function due to disease: respiratory embarrassment.
  6. Difficulty in financial matters; poverty.
  7. A group of pandas (ie. red panda, giant panda)

Pronunciation

/ɪmˈbæɹ.əs.mənt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-embarrassment.wav /ɪmˈbɛɹ.əs.mənt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-embarrassment.wav

Word forms

embarrassment embarrassments

Etymology

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒆟 (rakāsum) Akkadian 𒄙 (markasu)bor. Classical Syriac ܡܰܪܫܳܐ (maršā)bor. Arabic مَرَسَة (marasa)der. Old Galician-Portuguese baraço Old Galician-Portuguese embaraçarbor. Old Spanish embaraçar Spanish embarazarbor. French embarrasserbor. English embarrass Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English embarrassment From embarrass + -ment.

Derived words

criterion of embarrassment disembarrassment e-barrassment embarrassment of riches empathic embarrassment how embarrassment inductive embarrassment secondhand embarrassment unembarrassment vicarious embarrassment
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