尷尬

The original form, 尲尬 (OC *kreːm kreːds), was first attested in the 2^nd century CE in the ancient dictionary of Shuowen and was discernibly an ideophonic, disyllabic word of reduplicative nature (連綿詞).

The term 尲尬 seemed to have fallen into disuse by medieval times, except dialectally, in the Wu region. The dialectal form of it was revived in literature in the form of 尷尬 since the Yuan dynasty, and the colloquial Mandarin pronunciation gāngà was borrowed thence.

尷尬

1. (of a situation or person) awkward; embarrassing; uncomfortable [from 17th c.]

   尷尬場面／尴尬场面  ―  gāngà chǎngmiàn  ―  embarrassing scene

   尷尬出局／尴尬出局  ―  gāngà chūjú  ―  to be embarrassingly eliminated

   他正處於跋前疐後的尷尬局面。 [MSC, trad.]
   他正处于跋前疐后的尴尬局面。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā zhèng chǔyú báqiánzhìhòu de gāngà júmiàn. [Pinyin]

   He is in a difficult dilemma.

   • 除了1974年在墨西哥世錦賽位列第十四名，中國女排36年來從未遭遇如此尷尬的戰績。 [MSC, trad.]
     除了1974年在墨西哥世锦赛位列第十四名，中国女排36年来从未遭遇如此尴尬的战绩。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2010, 世锦赛中国女排跌出前八 遭遇36年来最尴尬战绩

     Chúle 1974 nián zài Mòxīgē Shìjǐnsài wèiliè dì shísì míng, Zhōngguó nǚpái 36 nián lái cóngwèi zāoyù rúcǐ gāngà de zhànjì. [Pinyin]

     Apart from the 14th place in the 1974 Mexico Championship, for 36 years, the Chinese women's volleyball team has never encountered such an embarrassing result.

2. (of a person) embarrassed; uneasy; sheepish; flustered [from 17th c.]

   神情尷尬／神情尴尬  ―  shénqíng gāngà  ―  to have an embarrassed look

3. (dated, of a person) unusual; sneaky; strange [from 17th c.]
4. (Eastern Min) impoverished; poor
5. (Hakka) irresolute; unreasonable

• (awkward): 困窘 (kùnjiǒng), 狼狽／狼狈 (lángbèi), 難堪／难堪 (nánkān), 為難／为难 (wéinán); (Hokkien) 疑騃／疑𫘤