Skip to content

embarrasser

to embarrass, to make uncomfortable

verb ahm-bah-rah-SEH Rare

Origin: Spanish 'embarazar'

Also means

to obstruct, to clutter

Usage Note

Embarrasser covers both emotional embarrassment and physical obstruction (cluttering a passage). The reflexive s'embarrasser de means 'to bother oneself with' something. The related noun is embarras, as in l'embarras du choix (an overwhelming choice of options).

Examples

"Sa question m'a vraiment embarrassé."

Natural Translation

His question really embarrassed me.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic