embarrassing
adjective
em·bar·rass·ing
im-ˈber-ə-siŋ 
-ˈba-rə-
: causing a feeling of self-conscious confusion and distress : causing embarrassment
an embarrassing error
The official was ever so polite, and ever so sorry, but the rule was strict, and he could not let us in. It was very embarrassing, for many eyes were on us.—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainExamples of embarrassing in a Sentence
an embarrassing failure of memory inauspiciously marked my first appearance as an actor
Recent Examples on the Web
Decadent art, with its mannerism, also its enthusiasm for skulls, swords, strippers, and other Hot Topic motifs, is for some art historians an embarrassing cul-de-sac best passed over in favor of a narrative of formal progress leading inevitably to abstraction.
—Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
After that, in agonizing real time, the Mets became both an epic and embarrassing financial disaster, even for somebody with pockets as deep as Steve Cohen’s.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Havoc is embarrassing for all involved, and her effort feels misplaced.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
In February, numerous workers from a company that Meta contracted to perform data annotation for Ray-Ban Meta reported viewing sensitive, embarrassing, and seemingly private footage recorded by the smart glasses.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
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Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026
After that, in agonizing real time, the Mets became both an epic and embarrassing financial disaster, even for somebody with pockets as deep as Steve Cohen’s.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Havoc is embarrassing for all involved, and her effort feels misplaced.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
In February, numerous workers from a company that Meta contracted to perform data annotation for Ray-Ban Meta reported viewing sensitive, embarrassing, and seemingly private footage recorded by the smart glasses.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for embarrassing
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embarrassing. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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