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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Em·bar·rass geographical name ⇨ see Embarras em·bar·rass ETYMOLOGY French embarrasser, from Spanish embarazar,from Portuguese embaraçar, from em- (from Latin in-) + baraçanoose 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 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 English Etymology embarrass 1670s, "perplex, throw into doubt," from Fr. embarrasser, lit. "to block," from embarras "obstacle," from It. imbarrazzo, from imbarrare "to bar," from in- "into, upon" + V.L. *barra "bar." Meaning "make (someone) feel awkward" first recorded 1828. Original sense preserved in embarras de richesse (1751), from French (1726), the condition of having more wealth than one knows what to do with. Related: Embarrassing. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ embarrass em·bar·rass / im5bArEs / verb[VN] 1. to make sb feel shy, awkward or ashamed, especially in a social situation (尤指在社交场合)使窘迫,使尴尬: ▪ [VN] Her questions about my private life embarrassed me. 她询问我的私生活使我感到很尴尬。 I didn't want to embarrass him by kissing him in front of his friends. 我并没想当着他的朋友吻他而使他感到难堪。 ▪ [VN to inf] It embarrassed her to meet strange men in the corridor at night. 夜里在走廊上遇见陌生男人使她感到很不好意思。 2. to cause problems or difficulties for sb 使困惑;使为难;使陷入困境: The speech was deliberately designed to embarrass the prime minister. 这个发言是故意为难首相。 OLT embarrass verb ⇨ embarrass Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged em·bar·rass \ə̇mˈbarəs, em- also -ber-\ transitive verb (-ed/-ing/-es) Etymology: French embarrasser, from Spanish embarazar, from Portuguese embaraçar, probably from em- (from Latin im- in- (II)) + baraça noose, rope 1. a. : to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties < the Government was again embarrassed from within party ranks by a political speech — Current Biography > < too often preciosity and aimless verbiage embarrass the thought and confuse the emotion — Mathurin Dondo > b. : to involve (as a person or his affairs) in difficulties concerning money matters < we believe the company will be seriously embarrassed if it does not get this loan > < heavy gambling losses embarrassed him for years > < the estate was embarrassed by the prospect of heavy death duties > c. : to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress : abash < their frank discussion of his looks embarrassed the boy > < it embarrasses many people to walk into a room full of strangers > d. : to impair the activity of (a bodily function) < his digestion was embarrassed by overeating and irregular hours > or the function of (a bodily part) < the congestion of pneumonia embarrasses the lungs > 2. : to hamper or impede the movement or freedom of movement of (as a person) < a man who refused to let physical handicaps embarrass him > often : hamper , impede < embarrassed our freedom of movement > < our progress was embarrassed by mountains of baggage > < they counted on the spring rains to embarrass the advance of the enemy > 3. : to make intricate : complicate < a course of legislation had prevailed … which weakened the confidence of man in man, and embarrassed all transactions between individuals — John Marshall > < the courts … were not established to … enable a few to harass and embarrass sovereign action by the government — F.D.Roosevelt > Synonyms: discomfit , abash , disconcert , rattle , faze : embarrass is likely to implicate an agency or influence checking and hampering free choice or action, often with accompanying chagrin, confusion, and loss of face < in immense flood of litigation, which seriously embarrassed the courts — T.F.T. Plucknett > < the problems of food, shelter, and sanitation for the impoverished veterans embarrassed Washington, and there was latent danger of disorder — J.M.Hanson > < the southern housewife is not unduly embarrassed by an unexpected guest — American Guide Series: North Carolina > discomfit implies hampering or frustrating and also chagrining, causing loss of self-possession, and confusing < Bradley's polemical irony and his obvious zest in using it, his habit of discomfiting an opponent with a sudden profession of ignorance, or inability to understand, or of incapacity for abstruse thought — T.S.Eliot > < she may heckle the dealer, add a running commentary to the demonstrations, or just assume a discomfiting smugness — Fortune > abash suggests the calling up of feelings of shyness, unworthiness, diffidence, shame, and loss of self-pride through some vexation or check < she would feel abashed before any woman who had not been rejected like herself — Rebecca West > < as abashed as a child interrupted in his game of make-believe — Rudyard Kipling > disconcert implies a bringing about of confused uncertainty and hesitation in proceeding or of loss of composure and assurance < I was disconcerted to find that they were locked. I stood there irresolute and uneasy like a baffled thief — Joseph Conrad > < watched the beautiful young man with her solemn unwinking stare that disconcerted self-conscious people — Rose Macaulay > rattle suggests an utter loss of poise, composure, and accustomed control of a situation, along with disorganization of wonted mental powers < that means that Freddy is rattled out of his senses — John Buchan > < rattled by hypothetical eyes spying upon her — Jean Stafford > < when other advisers became rattled, Mr. Adams was calm — Tris Coffin > faze applies to loss of assurance, face, and confidence brought about by a check, retort, sudden difficulty < it hit Marciano flush on the right side of the jaw, but it didn't seem to faze him a bit — A.J.Liebling > < he had ice water in his veins. Nothing fazed him, not insult or anger or violence or getting his face beat into a hamburger — R.P.Warren > |
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