當眾出糗
最貼近核心畫面的一支：被絆住的是一個活生生的人，感覺到的是熱臉、慌張、想找地洞鑽。
make ashamed · verb · C2
To make someone feel shy, ashamed, or uncomfortable, especially in front of other people.
使尷尬
核心畫面
One way to picture it: someone is walking along and suddenly a rope is pulled tight across their path — they trip, they stumble, and everyone standing around sees it happen. Embarrass is putting a person in that position: not hurt, but caught out and stuck, with an audience watching.
一個人正走著，前面忽然被拉起一條繩子，他絆了一下、腳步全亂，而旁邊剛好一堆人在看。embarrass 做的就是把人放…更多收起
一個人正走著，前面忽然被拉起一條繩子，他絆了一下、腳步全亂，而旁邊剛好一堆人在看。embarrass 做的就是把人放進這個位置——沒受傷，但被卡住了、被看見了，一時之間動也不是、退也不是。這個字的重量幾乎都來自「有人在看」：同樣一件事，關起門來發生就沒事，在眾人面前發生才叫 embarrass。From the word’s history
The word travels into English from French embarrasser, meaning to block, impede, obstruct. Further back the Spanish and Portuguese forms (embarazar / embaraçar) connect to baraço, a cord or noose — something you get tangled in. The old sense is physical entanglement; the modern sense is the social version of being tangled up and unable to move.
這個字經法文 embarrasser 進入英文，當時的意思是「阻擋、妨礙、使動彈不得」，跟現在的「尷尬」還沒關係。再往上追，西班牙文 embarazar、葡萄牙文 embaraçar 連到 baraço——一條繩索、套索，也就是會把人纏住的東西。所以最早的 embarrass 是身體上的被纏住、被絆住；後來這個「動彈不得」搬進了社交場合，變成心理上的卡住：你站在那裡，臉紅，講不出話，想離開又不能走。理解這條線之後，for two embarrassing minutes（尷尬的兩分鐘）那種「被困住」的感覺就特別合理了。
Entry origin note: from French embarrasser (block, impede, obstruct), tracing back through Old Galician-Portuguese embaraçar / baraço
Two branches
讓組織難堪
同一條繩子，改絆一個政府或一個公眾人物。個人尷尬是感覺，這裡的難堪是處境：形象受損、施政被卡住。
cause political trouble · verb · C2
To cause problems for a government, a political group, or a public person, and make them look bad.
使難堪
原始詞典資料9 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
Embarrassname
- 1
A river or settlement in the United States:
- 2
A river or settlement in the United States:
- 3
A river or settlement in the United States:
- 4
A river or settlement in the United States:
- 5
A river or settlement in the United States:
embarrassverb/ɪmˈbæɹəs/
- 1
To disrupt someone's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely.
- The crowd's laughter and jeers embarrassed him.
- 2
To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct.
- The motion was advanced in order to embarrass the progress of the bill.
- If they [registers] act It all, it must be by opposing their flat surfaces to the current of rising smoke in a manner which cannot fail to embarrass and impede its motion..
- 3
To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to encumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands.
- A man or his business is embarrassed when he cannot meet his pecuniary engagements.
- 4
formalTo perplex mentally; confuse, disconcert; catch off guard.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。