noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
cause offence/embarrassment (= offend/embarrass someone )
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How can I refuse the invitation without causing offence?
hide your disappointment/embarrassment/confusion etc
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She laughed to hide her nervousness.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
acute
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The prospect of Hitler's trial in the aftermath of the failed putsch caused the Bavarian authorities acute embarrassment .
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To my acute embarrassment , the children seemed far more interested in meeting some one from television.
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Early in her first premiership it caused her a moment of acute embarrassment .
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The bust was an acute embarrassment to Curtis who, in 1970, was the anti-smoking lobby's most famous disciple.
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What was at stake was acute government embarrassment .
considerable
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He was wearing a scarf, a pair of boots, and a look of considerable embarrassment .
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For these drawings, Stephen received considerable embarrassment at the hands of the Art Teacher.
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To do so would have entailed considerable embarrassment .
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The government subsequently decided not to accept any of the bids for Land Rover during April 1986 amid considerable political embarrassment .
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Another case caused considerable embarrassment to Mr Simitis.
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The onset of bladder dysfunction ... leads to considerable distress and embarrassment .
financial
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Again, professional financial advice on the advantages and disadvantages of this form of borrowing seems a sensible precaution against financial embarrassment .
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Even before the war, the Vatican found itself in constant financial embarrassment .
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In July 1627 Buckingham embarked upon his ill-fated expedition, which still further increased Charles I's financial embarrassments .
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As a rule, financial embarrassment leaves most of us with no choice but to run with the crowd.
further
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To avoid further embarrassment he took the butter knife plus the bit of butter with him.
great
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In fact, a police raid on ffeatherstonehaugh's would lead to a great deal of embarrassment .
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It is the area of abuse that has caused great embarrassment for the president and the Democrats.
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This effect is called cross-talk and can be a great nuisance and embarrassment .
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At last he whispered with great embarrassment that what was upsetting him was a word that he had heard.
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As my son had won one, this meant he suffered a great deal of embarrassment .
major
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The whole episode has been a major embarrassment for all concerned.
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The disclosure comes as a major embarrassment to the government and other political parties ahead of national elections in April.
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This vast stock overhangs the market, and is a source of major embarrassment for the Commission.
political
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Their disclosures were, however, likely to cause serious political embarrassment to the Government.
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The government subsequently decided not to accept any of the bids for Land Rover during April 1986 amid considerable political embarrassment .
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To avoid the possible political embarrassment of such a referendum, the government preferred to make the law itself.
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That would certainly suit the Jaguar management's book and has less potential for political embarrassment than an unruly hostile bid.
potential
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Organizational defensive routines One of the most powerful ways people deal with potential embarrassment is to create organisational defensive routines.
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But the meteorites were a potential embarrassment to the purest forms of uniformitarianism.
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That would certainly suit the Jaguar management's book and has less potential for political embarrassment than an unruly hostile bid.
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Daley removed the power because it was a potential source of embarrassment and trouble.
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The story was a potential embarrassment for a president who fathered the War on Poverty.
severe
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That belief has been rudely undermined by the collapse in the market causing severe embarrassment to many big players.
■ VERB
avoid
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This avoids the embarrassment - or worse - of overspending.
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Determined to avoid embarrassment , he struggled with the social customs of the day.
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The United Nations also helps both countries avoid embarrassment by treating the business arrangements as confidential.
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Some White House officials concede the first lady has hurt the administration by efforts to avoid personal embarrassment .
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There are many ways for the authorities to avoid the embarrassment and inconvenience of a jury trial when press freedom is involved.
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They needed to know, with enough certainty to avoid embarrassment , inconvenience, and lawsuits when the building was completed.
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To avoid any possible embarrassment the receptionist should show the lady to a seat in the lounge.
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To avoid further embarrassment he took the butter knife plus the bit of butter with him.
become
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And no one argued when he said he had become an embarrassment .
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He became an embarrassment , and, perhaps more important, an obstacle to trade.
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He was becoming an embarrassment to the Government.
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With the cold war over, I became an embarrassment to my parents and a joke to my kids.
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Nowadays Darra has become an embarrassment to a military regime desperate to dam the flood of weapons flowing through it.
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She soon became an embarrassment to her sons.
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Now his strategy for recovery looks set to become another huge embarrassment .
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As a result, some of the early projects were to become painful embarrassments , and expensive ones.
cause
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But what does a Lords defeat actually do, apart from causing some temporary embarrassment to the Government?
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It is the area of abuse that has caused great embarrassment for the president and the Democrats.
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He was told that such a reference might cause embarrassment to some of the pupils.
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He seemed to be genuinely horrified at the prospect of causing embarrassment or disappointment or inconvenience to another person.
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That belief has been rudely undermined by the collapse in the market causing severe embarrassment to many big players.
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Stopping it or even pausing it would have caused terminal embarrassment for everyone involved.
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Their disclosures were, however, likely to cause serious political embarrassment to the Government.
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Another case caused considerable embarrassment to Mr Simitis.
cover
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Only to cover my embarrassment , I say something really stupid.
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It had been constantly pulled down to cover his imagined embarrassment .
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These cliches effectively cover our embarrassment and maintain our status.
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Often she would say something foolish, immediately regret it, then, to cover her embarrassment , say something worse.
feel
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I feel neither shame or embarrassment at my feelings, not do I think they should be ignored.
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Sometimes parents feel some embarrassment and guilt toward defiant or stubborn aspects of themselves.
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Jezrael could feel her embarrassment gathering physical momentum inside her, turning into nausea.
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I felt the heat of embarrassment rise in my cheeks.
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Her shift vanished in one swift movement, but in her husband's arms she felt no embarrassment .
flush
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Harry nearly jumped back in surprise and flushed instantly in embarrassment at the distaste his flinching movement had signalled.
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I flew back to the field flushed with embarrassment .
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He flushed with embarrassment and turned away.
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The thought made him flush hot with embarrassment even though chilled to the marrow.
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Elisabeth wrung her hands, still flushing with embarrassment , hoping David would forgive her.
hide
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Even now they talk among themselves to hide their embarrassment .
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We hide our heads in embarrassment .
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She concentrated on her drink to hide her embarrassment , deciding that whisky was all right.
prove
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The odd detail, however, can prove an embarrassment .
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The choice of documents proved an embarrassment to the prosecutors, however.
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However, his membership of the team could prove an embarrassment to the Government, which is subsidising his bid attempt.
save
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It may be of most value for occasional use, in known responders, to save embarrassment when sleeping away from home.
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Molinari now explains that she panicked at the question and wanted to save her family from embarrassment .
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Mr Noyes will claim the MoD said nothing about the alleged landing because it wanted to save any embarrassment .
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It was made to save the Government some embarrassment .
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His one-man show yesterday failed to prevent the Hammers moving to fourth in the First Division but it saved Pompey from embarrassment .
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You've saved me the embarrassment of having to turn you in!
spare
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He collects it from the door when it arrives to spare her the embarrassment of being seen by the boy.
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Meredith was relieved to be spared the embarrassment of unavoidable eavesdropping.
suffer
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Angry Jemson suffered the embarrassment of coming on as substitute and then being substituted himself at Carrow Road.
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Then I worried that he would end up in the wrong homeroom and suffer some embarrassment for such inattention.
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They eventually suffered from an embarrassment of riches: they laughingly killed all their enemies and created their worst nightmare.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a flush of anger/embarrassment/excitement etc
die of embarrassment/shame
much to sb's surprise/embarrassment etc
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A week later, much to my surprise, I was told my order must be changed.
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And much to everyone's surprise he won it.
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And he was still sober, much to her surprise.
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But he has written a steamy thriller, much to the surprise of his conservative minions.
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Pitsligo died there in 1767, head, much to his surprise, still firmly attached to his unrepentant shoulders.
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So now he is clubbed to death instead, much to the surprise of the audience.
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Those questions were asked in front of a packed gymnasium, much to the Surprise of the state officials who attended.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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He looked down at the floor in an attempt to hide his embarrassment .
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She read my poem out to the whole class - I almost died of embarrassment .
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Stich's arrest was an embarrassment to the agency because they had often criticized foreign governments of corruption.
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Will looked down and tried to hide his embarrassment .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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In Britain the only consensus has appeared to be to regard him as an embarrassment .
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In their 74-point embarrassment on Sunday, the team appeared disorganized.
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Looking in her direction was an embarrassment .
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She soon became an embarrassment to her sons.
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We have an embarrassment of riches here!
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With the cold war over, I became an embarrassment to my parents and a joke to my kids.