different between discredit vs embarrassment

English

Etymology

dis- +? credit.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?d?t

Verb

discredit (third-person singular simple present discredits, present participle discrediting, simple past and past participle discredited)

1. (transitive) To harm the good reputation of a person; to cause an idea or piece of evidence to seem false or unreliable.

   The candidate tried to discredit his opponent.

   The evidence would tend to discredit such a theory.

Synonyms

• demean, disgrace, dishonour, disprove, invalidate, tell against

Derived terms

• discreditor

Translations

Noun

discredit (countable and uncountable, plural discredits)

1. (countable or uncountable) Discrediting or disbelieving.
2. (countable) A person or thing that causes harm to a reputation, as of a person, family, or institution.
3. (uncountable) The state of being discredited or disbelieved.

   Later accounts have brought the story into discredit.

4. (uncountable) A degree of dishonour or disesteem; ill repute; reproach.
   • 1815, Doctor Rogers, “A good Life the best Ornament of the Christian Profession” (sermon), in Family Lectures: or, a copious Collection of Sermons, F. C. and J. Rivington et al., page 351:

     It is the duty of every Christian to be concerned for the reputation or discredit his life may bring on his profession.

Synonyms

• (degree of dishonour): demerit

Translations

References

• discredit in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• discredit at OneLook Dictionary Search

Romanian

Etymology

From French discrédit.

Noun

discredit n (uncountable)

1. disrepute

Declension

English

Etymology

From embarrass +? -ment

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?bæ??sm?nt/

Noun

embarrassment (countable and uncountable, plural embarrassments)

1. A state of discomfort arising from bashfulness or consciousness of having violated a social rule; humiliation.
2. A person or thing which is the cause of humiliation to another.

   Kevin, you are an embarrassment to this family.

   Losing this highly publicized case was an embarrassment to the firm.
3. A large collection of good or valuable things, especially one that exceeds requirements.
   • 1914, Collier's, page 30

     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.

   • 1996, David Morgan Evans, Peter Salway, David Thackray, The Remains of Distant Times: Archaeology and the National Trust, Boydell & Brewer ?ISBN, page 188

     The landscape presented an embarrassment of riches for the industrial archaeologist, and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century remains were still visible in abundance

   • 2013, Frank Boccia, The Crouching Beast: A United States Army Lieutenant's Account of the Battle for Hamburger Hill, May 1969, McFarland ?ISBN, page 256

     At one time, I reflected, we'd had an embarrassment of good, qualified squad leader—ready men in the platoon.

4. A state of confusion; hesitation; uncertainty
5. (medicine) Impairment of function due to disease: respiratory embarrassment.
6. (dated) Difficulty in financial matters; poverty.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• embarrassment in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• embarrassment in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.