Wordwyrt

embarrassment

/ɪmˈbeɹəsmənt/im-BEH-ruh-smuhnt
/ɪmˈbɛɹəsmənt/im-BEH-ruh-smuhnt

Meaningthe state of being hindered

Common meaning: awkward shame

Journey through time

  1. Spanishembarazar‘obstruct or hinder’source
  2. Frenchembarrasser‘obstruct or perplex’source
  3. Englishembarrass‘make someone feel awkward’
  4. Englishformed in English from embarrassembarrassment‘awkward shame’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from embarrass + -ment.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), EMBARRASS, p.188 · scan

Source words

  • embarazar Spanish · source word “obstruct or hinder”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app