embarrassing
/ɪmˈbærəsɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪmˈbærəsɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /im-ˈber-ə-siŋ -ˈba-rə-/ (ame, mw)
embarrassing — adjective
- embarrassingpositive
- more embarrassingcomparative
- most embarrassingsuperlative
1. causing someone to feel uncomfortable, awkward, or ashamed, especially in front
causing someone to feel uncomfortable, awkward, or ashamed, especially in front of other people — for example, when you make a social mistake, receive unexpected public attention, or find yourself in an awkward situation.
Ife found it embarrassing when her father told funny childhood stories to her new friends.
find + it + embarrassing + when-clause
The mayor's awkward silence during the live interview created an embarrassing situation for his staff.
embarrassing + noun (situation)
Esteban found it deeply embarrassing when he spilled coffee on his shirt before the meeting.
For Devika, it was embarrassing to arrive at the party wearing exactly the same dress as the host.
Léa admitted that forgetting her colleague's name during the introduction was embarrassing.
- awkward
suggests inconvenience or social clumsiness rather than shame; milder than embarrassing
- humiliating
stronger than embarrassing; implies a loss of dignity or respect, especially when one's weakness is exposed to others
- mortifying
much stronger and more formal; describes something so embarrassing it feels almost painful
- uncomfortable
focuses on personal unease rather than social judgment; can describe physical discomfort, not just social situations
- comfortable
feeling at ease rather than awkward in a social situation
- dignified
having or showing a calm, serious sense of self-respect, opposite of the shame in embarrassing
文法句型
be + embarrassing
find + it + embarrassing + (when-clause / to-infinitive)
embarrassing + noun
it + be + embarrassing + for + person + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Distinguish from embarrassed: embarrassing describes the thing or situation that causes the feeling (an embarrassing mistake), while embarrassed describes the person who feels the feeling (an embarrassed student). Frequently found in the pattern find + it + embarrassing + infinitive or when-clause.