different between apologize vs embarrass

English

Alternative forms

• apologise (Commonwealth)

Etymology

apology +? -ize, from ???????? (apología, “a speech in defense”), from ??????????? (apologéomai, “to speak in one’s defense”), from ???????? (apólogos, “an account, story”), compound of ???- (apo-, “from, off”) and ????? (lógos, “speech”); compare also ???????????? (apologízomai, “to render an account”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??p?l?d??a?z/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p?l?d??a?z/

Verb

apologize (third-person singular simple present apologizes, present participle apologizing, simple past and past participle apologized)

1. (intransitive, often followed by “for”) To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Today I want to apologize to my co-workers.

2. (intransitive) To express regret that a certain event has occurred.
3. (intransitive, dated) To make an apologia or defense; to act as apologist.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dr. H. More to this entry?)

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

• apologize in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Portuguese

Verb

apologize

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of apologizar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of apologizar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of apologizar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of apologizar

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French embarrasser (“to block, to obstruct”), from Spanish embarazar, from Portuguese embaraçar, from em- (“in”) (from Latin im-) + baraço (“noose, rope”), the latter ultimately being from Akkadian ???? (KEŠDA /rak?su/, “to tie”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?bæ.??s/
• (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /?m?b???s/
• Rhymes: -ær?s

Verb

embarrass (third-person singular simple present embarrasses, present participle embarrassing, simple past and past participle embarrassed)

1. (transitive) to humiliate; to disrupt somebody's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely; to disconcert; to abash

2. (transitive) To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct.
3. (transitive) To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to encumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands.

Synonyms

• (humiliate): abash, discomfit, disconcert, humiliate, shame
• See also Thesaurus:abash

Derived terms

• embarrassment

Translations

Further reading

• embarrass in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• embarrass in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• “embarrass”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

References

• “embarrass” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.