embarrassing

By surface analysis, embarrass +‎ -ing.

• (Received Pronunciation, New York City) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbæɹəsɪŋ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbæɹəsɪŋ/
• (General American, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɛɹəsɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: em‧bar‧rass‧ing

embarrassing

1. present participle and gerund of embarrass

embarrassing (usually uncountable, plural embarrassings)

1. The action of the verb to embarrass; embarrassment.
   • May 11, 1715, Robert Wodrow, letter to Mrs Wodrow

     It seemed, at first, to be agreed, that the King should be addressed by the Assembly; but the time of presenting, because of the present embarrassings of affairs, to be left to the Commission.

embarrassing (comparative more embarrassing, superlative most embarrassing)

1. Causing embarrassment; leading to a feeling of uncomfortable shame or self-consciousness.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:

     The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.

   • 2025 July 16, Ryan Bort and Asawin Suebsaeng, “Trump calls Epstein conspiracy a ‘hoax’ and turns on Maga ‘weaklings’”, in Rolling Stone‎^[1]:

     “Barack Obama wrote the Epstein files? LOL. This is outright embarrassing,” Candace Owens wrote on X.

• awkward
• shameful