| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| embarrass |
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| SYLLABICATION: | em·bar·rass |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   m-b r  s |
| TRANSITIVE VERB: | Inflected forms: em·bar·rassed, em·bar·rass·ing, em·bar·rass·es
1. To cause to feel self-conscious or ill at ease; disconcert: Meeting adults embarrassed the shy child. 2. To involve in or hamper with financial difficulties. 3. To hinder with obstacles or difficulties; impede. 4. To complicate. 5. To interfere with (a bodily function) or impede the function of (a body part). | | ETYMOLOGY: | French embarrasser, to encumber, hamper, from Spanish embarazar, from Italian imbarazzare, from imbarazzo, obstacle, obstruction, from imbarrare, to block, bar : in-, in (from Latin; see en–1) + barra, bar (from Vulgar Latin *barra). | | OTHER FORMS: | em·barrassed·ly —ADVERB
em·barrass·ing·ly —ADVERB
| | SYNONYMS: | embarrass, abash, chagrin, discomfit, disconcert, faze, rattle1 These verbs mean to cause someone to feel self-conscious and uneasy: were embarrassed by their child's tantrum; felt abashed at the extravagant praise; will be chagrined if my confident prediction fails; was discomfited by the sudden personal question; is disconcerted by sarcastic remarks; refuses to be fazed by your objections; isn't easily rattled before an audience.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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