Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Embarrass

WORD OF THE DAY April 18, 2018

embarrass    verb | im-BAIR-us     Definition   1 a : to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress   b : to place in doubt, perplexity, or difficulties   c : to involve in financial difficulties   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)   Scroll down for more about embarrass      TRENDING NOW: lowlife kakistocracy slimeball salacious SEE ALL      PEOPLE ARE READING   A Brief History of 'Potshot'     What Is a 'Thirst Trap'?     On 'Awesome'     ‘Obtuse’ or ‘Abstruse’?         WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   More Confusing Words—Quiz   How many of these commonly confused words do you know?     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE         Did You Know?   If you've ever been so embarrassed that you felt like you were caught up in a noose of shame, then you may have some insight into the origins of the word embarrass. The word can be traced back through French and Spanish to the Portuguese word embaraçar, which was itself probably formed as a combination of the prefix em- (from Latin in-) and baraça, the Portuguese word for "noose." Though embarrass has had various meanings related to acts that hinder or impede throughout its history in English, these days it most often implies making someone feel or look foolish.     Examples of EMBARRASS   He was embarrassed to discover that he had been talking to prospective clients all day with a piece of spinach lodged in his teeth.   "To start with, the existence of the blog post itself is a striking demonstration of privilege. Most people think twice before publicly embarrassing their former employers, for fear that it will ruin their careers or they will face other types of retaliation." — Sarah Kessler, Quartz, 27 Jan. 2018   Name That Synonym   Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of embarrass: RISEDTCOCN.   VIEW THE ANSWER           WEBBY AWARDS     Help Merriam-Webster Win A Webby!   We’re thrilled that our app is nominated in the Education & Reference category. Please vote for us and show that words matter!   VOTE NOW            MORE WORD FUN:     WORD GAMES         TRENDING NOW         WORDS AT PLAY