embarrass

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb embarrass contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of embarrass are abash, discomfit, disconcert, and rattle. While all these words mean "to distress by confusing or confounding," embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

When might abash be a better fit than embarrass?

The synonyms abash and embarrass are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

In what contexts can discomfit take the place of embarrass?

The meanings of discomfit and embarrass largely overlap; however, discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

When would disconcert be a good substitute for embarrass?

While in some cases nearly identical to embarrass, disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

Where would rattle be a reasonable alternative to embarrass?

The words rattle and embarrass can be used in similar contexts, but rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

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 embarrass Many of them had to fail, repeat, embarrass themselves, risk everything, and learn. Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025 Ukrainian troops seized the area inside Russia, just over Ukraine’s eastern border, last year in an audacious move that embarrassed Moscow. Courtney Kube, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025 Ukraine's daring incursion last August led to the first occupation of Russian soil by foreign troops since World War II and embarrassed the Kremlin. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 In the 1990s, The Towering Inferno might have won, but today the academy will not, of course, embarrass itself. Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for embarrass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrass
Verb
  • No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Let go of a common misconception Some parents worry that teaching their child multiple languages will set them back or confuse them.
    Julia Furlan, NPR, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The charges were first dropped a few weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term in part because the case would impede Adams’ ability to do his job as mayor, including cooperating with Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Justice Department’s new acting deputy attorney general wrote.
    Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Removing opportunities for public commentary could impede the department’s ability to operate in the public’s interest, according to experts who spoke with Reuters.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • That Rocked Myanmar and Thailand But recovery efforts—including understanding the full extent of the damage and getting aid to where it’s needed most—are complicated by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The Trump administration’s retributive style complicates those questions.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Jimmy Kimmel flustered guest Pedro Pascal with a suggestive question about Reed Richards' stretchable body parts on Monday's episode of his late-night show.
    Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2025
  • DePaul Prep rallied, though, flustering the Crusaders with a full-court press.
    Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Arbitrary rules shouldn’t hinder deserved recognition.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Objections from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), however, may hinder plans for the new landing pads on the South Pacific atoll.
    Josh Dinner, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And some Democrats are still perplexed by the fact that last November Donald Trump became the first Republican since maybe Abraham Lincoln to carry Fall River.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Some were perplexed by its location, while others were enchanted by the simplistic nature of a home from a time long gone.
    TJ Macias, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Aly Song | Reuters Trump's tariffs on China are already hampering Christmas sales.
    Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox,Christina Wilkie,Erin Doherty,Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The deep budget cuts at HHS have also hampered the nation’s disease-detection capacity and pandemic preparedness with respect to pathogens such as bird flu, according to experts.
    Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Embarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrass. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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