different between embarrass vs overwhelm

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.

English

Etymology

From Middle English overwhelmen, equivalent to over- +? whelm.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???v????lm/, /???v??w?lm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?o?v????lm/, /?o?v??w?lm/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /?ov????lm/
• Rhymes: -?lm

Verb

overwhelm (third-person singular simple present overwhelms, present participle overwhelming, simple past and past participle overwhelmed)

1. To engulf, surge over and submerge.

   Synonym: swamp

2. To overpower, crush.

   In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.

   • The sea overwhelmed their enemies.

3. To overpower emotionally.
4. To cause to surround, to cover.

   1684, Denis Papin, Instrument to make turpentine penetrate plaster and wood using the airpump

   • I lay Turpentine all over the same: then I overwhelm a broader pipe about the first

Derived terms

• overwhelming

Related terms

• whelm

Antonyms

• underwhelm

Translations

Noun

overwhelm (plural overwhelms)

1. The state or condition of being overwhelmed.

See also

• too many balls in the air