Embarrassingly

Embarrassingly is an adverb meaning “in a way that causes embarrassment or is conspicuously embarrassing.” It is the adverbial form of the adjective embarrassing, and it describes the manner in which an action occurs or the degree to which something is embarrassing. The term is often used to emphasize social awkwardness or discomfort in a situation, sometimes with a mildly humorous tone.

In terms of usage, embarrassingly can modify verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses. It can appear before the word it modifies or after a punctuation break for emphasis: for example, “The speech was embarrassingly short,” “He answered embarrassingly slowly,” or “The presentation, embarrassingly ill-prepared, fell short of expectations.” It is more common in informal or narrative writing; in formal contexts, writers may opt for alternatives that convey a similar sense without the adverbial emphasis, such as “shockingly,” “uncomfortably,” or simply “very.”

Etymology: The adverb is derived from the adjective embarrassing, which in turn comes from the noun embarrassment. The noun traces to Old French embarras (or embarras) meaning hindrance or obstruction, with the sense evolving toward social awkwardness in English. The suffix -ly converts the adjective into the corresponding adverb.

See also: embarrassed, embarrassment, embarrass, embarrassing.