If you've ever been so embarrassed that you felt like you were caught
up in a noose of shame, then you may have some insight into the origins
of the word
embarrass. The word can be traced back through French and Spanish to the Portuguese word
embaraçar, which was itself probably formed as a
combination of the prefix
em- (from Latin
in-) and
baraça, the Portuguese word for "noose." Though
embarrass
has had various meanings related to acts that hinder or impede
throughout its history in English, these days it most often implies
making someone feel or look foolish.
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