Concetti Chiave
- Embarrassment occurs when someone feels uncomfortably self-conscious due to inappropriate actions or words.
- The term "embarrassment" can refer to both personal discomfort and an abundance of wealth or advantages compared to peers.
- Examples highlight how embarrassment can be triggered by social situations, such as addressing someone incorrectly or unexpected public attention.
- The phrase "embarrassment of riches" describes having more advantages than others, leading to discomfort despite the benefits.
- Strong emotional reactions to embarrassment are common, although expressions like "embarrassed to death" are figurative.
What is the meaning of embarrassment?
If you make someone feel uncomfortably self-conscious, you embarrass him. Embarrass also means to make yourself or someone else feel bad, generally by doing or saying something inappropriate. Embarrassment is the noun that refers to the state of being embarrassed.
Mark embarrassed himself when he addressed the caller as sweetheart, thinking that it was his girlfriend. It was really his boss.
Mary's friends embarrassed her when they called her up on the stage during the assembly to present her with an award. She didn't know what to say.
Embarrassment and wealth
You may have heard someone say that she was embarrassed to death or could have died from embarrassment. That is not likely to happen, but it demonstrates how strong an emotion embarrassment is. One who has many more advantages than others of his age may be said to suffer from an embarrassment of riches, especially if he has done little to earn those advantages. He may be embarrassed that he has so much more than his peers.
Jane could have died from embarrassment when she tripped on the curb and fell flat on her face in front of dozens of people on the busy pavement.
Although James was thrilled to receive the most¬ valuable¬ player awards for football, basketball, and rugby, he had to admit to his teammates that it was an embarrassment of riches.
Domande da interrogazione
- What does it mean to embarrass someone?
- Can embarrassment be a strong emotion?
To embarrass someone means to make them feel uncomfortably self-conscious or bad, often by doing or saying something inappropriate. Embarrassment is the state of feeling this way.
Yes, embarrassment can be a very strong emotion, as illustrated by expressions like "embarrassed to death," which emphasize its intensity, even though it is not literally life-threatening.
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