Contextualizebeta

embarrassment

noun
/ɪmˈbæɹ.əs.mənt/

Etymology

Etymology tree Akkadian 𒆟 (rakāsum) Akkadian 𒄙 (markasu)bor. Classical Syriac ܡܰܪܫܳܐ (maršā)bor. Arabic مَرَسَة (marasa)der. Old Galician-Portuguese baraço Old Galician-Portuguese embaraçarbor. Old Spanish embaraçar Spanish embarazarbor. French embarrasserbor. English embarrass Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English embarrassment From embarrass + -ment.

  1. derived from -ment English -ment English embarrassment From embarrass + -ment
  2. derived from embarrass Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor
  3. derived from embarrasserbor
  4. derived from embaraçar Spanish embarazarbor
  5. derived from baraço Old Galician-Portuguese embaraçarbor

Definitions

  1. A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a…

    A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation.

    • The desired effect [of affectionate teasing] is a look of pleasurable embarrassment, as if you administered a compliment. Anyone who doesn't stop teasing immediately upon producing real embarrassment, anger or tears is not really teasing.

  2. A person or thing which is the cause of humiliation to another.

    • Jack, you are an embarrassment to this family.
    • Losing this highly publicized case was an embarrassment to the firm.
    • The audacious hijacking in Paris of a van carrying the baggage of a Saudi prince to his private jet is obviously an embarrassment to the French capital, whose ultra-high-end boutiques have suffered a spate of heists in recent months.

  3. A large collection of good or valuable things, especially one that exceeds requirements…

    A large collection of good or valuable things, especially one that exceeds requirements or causes some sort of hindrance.

    • There are over 5,000 Americans now in Paris, many artists, singers, musicians, writers, and actors, so many, indeed, the committee could hardly pick a program from an embarrassment of volunteers.
    • The landscape presented an embarrassment of riches for the industrial archaeologist, and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century remains were still visible in abundance
    • At one time, I reflected, we'd had an embarrassment of good, qualified squad leader—ready men in the platoon.
  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. A state of confusion

      A state of confusion; hesitation; uncertainty.

    2. Impairment of function due to disease

      Impairment of function due to disease: respiratory embarrassment.

    3. Difficulty in financial matters

      Difficulty in financial matters; poverty.

    4. A group of pandas (ie. red panda, giant panda)

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at embarrassment. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01embarrassment02consciousness03awareness04observer05monitor06presence07poise

A definitional loop anchored at embarrassment. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at embarrassment

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA