embarrassed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of embarrassednext
as in abashed

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embarrassed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of embarrass
1
as in confused
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress the modest young soldiers were embarrassed by the public praise for their heroism

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2
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of a lot of this paperwork is unnecessary and just embarrasses the organization

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3
as in complicated
to make complex or difficult claims that the new government regulations will needlessly embarrass the operations of small businesses in the state

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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 embarrassed
Adjective
While the actor may have been embarrassed, Bernthal cheered and Evans crowned him the first guest to lose his lunch. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Brown said this is typical, particularly with prepubescent boys, who can be embarrassed. — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Verb
The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it. — CBS News, 15 June 2026 But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed. — Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for embarrassed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassed
  1. abashed
  2. confused
  3. hampered
  4. complicated
  5. discomfited
  6. flustered
  7. impeded
  8. perplexed
Adjective
  • This journey culminated in the 2018 production at Glyndebourne, which accomplished the feat of finally reducing (most of) the London critics to abashed admiration.
    — Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
  • Privacy concerns cause abashed feeling in Silicon Valley Zuckerberg's potential retort comes after Apple's Cook made comments at the end of March in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes.
    — Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2018
Definition of abashed
Verb
  • This reserve should not be confused with a permanent investment strategy.
    — Steve Booren, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • River otters are not to be confused with sea otters, which live in the ocean, bays and harbors and can grow to be up to five feet and 100 pounds.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Verb
  • But the lack of a proper contest between bat and ball in Pakistani domestic first-class cricket has starved locals of that preparation time and hampered the development of genuine pace.
    — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • However, difficult weather conditions hampered the search in the following days, as the service wrote in a subsequent update.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hampered
Verb
  • Figuring out how to stay a happy family is where things get complicated.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The answer is complicated by the geography — and by Yemen itself.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of complicated
Adjective
  • Despite these successes at work, Ron scans as a discomfited and undistinguished middle manager.
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Thomas Jefferson was likewise discomfited by the revolutionary possibility of female citizenship.
    — Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of discomfited
Verb
  • Saliba is rarely flustered, so to see his game affected as much as it was made an impression.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • The Germans dominated the match after the break but struggled to break down Paraguay’s defense as the South Americans once again assumed the compact defending that had flustered Turkey and Australia in the opening group stage.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Definition of flustered
Verb
  • Limited fiber-optic coverage left consumers with slow connections, which impeded digital transactions and the delivery of valuable offerings.
    — Jim DeLoach, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the setting of so many of the sculptures against the wall impeded the kind of looking the works demand.
    — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of impeded
Verb
  • As crime units and crime tape surrounded the house, neighbors who knew the officer are perplexed.
    — Anna Meiler, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Brazil midfielder has expressed a desire to join Arsenal, but Newcastle did not want to sell him this summer and have been perplexed by the lack of direct contact from the London club.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of perplexed

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Cite this Entry

“Embarrassed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassed. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on embarrassed

Nglish: Translation of embarrassed for Spanish Speakers

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