embarrassment

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   extreme excess

   an embarrassment of riches

2. 2
   noun

   some event that causes someone to be embarrassed

   the outcome of the vote was an embarrassment for the liberals

3. 3
   noun

   the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public

   They couldn't hide their embarrassment after being literally caught with their pants down.

4. 4
   noun

   the state of being in financial difficulties

   We are temporarily suffering some minor financial embarrassments.

5. 5
   noun

   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.

6. 6
   noun

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

   Jack, you are an embarrassment to this family.

7. 7
   noun

   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.

8. 8
   noun

   A state of confusion; hesitation; uncertainty.

   […]and render them more intelligible than all the commentaries which have been written on them, for they generally render the authour more obscure, and lead the reader into greater embarrassments, by what they explain, than by what they leave untouched.

Etymology

From embarrass + -ment.