embarrassed

UK: /ɪmˈbærəst/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

em•bar•rass /ɛmˈbærəs/   v. 

1. to (cause to) become ashamed, uncomfortable, or ill at ease: [no object]
   She embarrasses so easily.
   [~ + object]
   The child's crying embarrassed her parents.

em•bar•rass•ing, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

em•bar•rass  (em bar′əs), v.t. 

1. to cause confusion and shame to; make uncomfortably self-conscious;
   disconcert;
   abash:
   His bad table manners embarrassed her.
2. to make difficult or intricate, as a question or problem;
   complicate.
3. to put obstacles or difficulties in the way of;
   impede:
   The motion was advanced in order to embarrass the progress of the bill.
4. to beset with financial difficulties;
   burden with debt:
   The decline in sales embarrassed the company.

v.i. 

5. to become disconcerted, abashed, or confused.

• Portuguese embaraçar, equivalent. to em- em-¹ + -baraçar, verb, verbal derivative of baraço, baraça cord, strap, noose (of obscure origin, originally)
• Spanish embarazar
• French embarrasser
• 1665–75

em•bar•rassed•ly  (em bar′əst lē, -ə sid lē), adv.  em•bar′rass•ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. discompose, discomfit, chagrin. See confuse. 
• 3. hamper, hinder.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

embarrass / ɪmˈbærəs/ verb (mainly tr)

1. (also intr) to feel or cause to feel confusion or self-consciousness; disconcert; fluster
2. (usually passive) to involve in financial difficulties
3. to make difficult; complicate
4. to impede; obstruct; hamper

Etymology: 17th Century: (in the sense: to impede): via French and Spanish from Italian imbarrazzare, from imbarrare to confine within bars; see en-¹, bar¹

emˈbarrassed adjective