embarrass

verb Etymology: French embarrasser, from Spanish embarazar, from Portuguese embaraçar, from em- (from Latin in-) + baraça noose Date: 1672 transitive verb 1. a. to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties b. to involve in financial difficulties c. to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress <

bawdy stories embarrassed him

> 2. a. to hamper the movement of b. hinder, impede 3. to make intricate ; complicate 4. to impair the activity of (a bodily function) or the function of (a bodily part) <

digestion embarrassed by overeating

> intransitive verb to become anxiously self-conscious <

he embarrasses easily

> • embarrassable adjective Synonyms: embarrass, discomfit, abash, disconcert, rattle mean to distress by confusing or confounding. embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action <

embarrassed to admit that she liked the movie

>. discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion <

hecklers discomfited the speaker

>. abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority <

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

>. disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy <

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

>. rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment <

rattled by all the television cameras

>.