imbarazza

Imbarazza is primarily a form found in Italian as the third-person singular present indicative of the verb imbarazzare, which means to embarrass or to cause someone to feel shame. In standard usage, the related noun for the feeling or situation is imbarazzo, which denotes embarrassment or an awkward circumstance. Thus, imbarazza functions grammatically as a verb form (eg, “Lui imbarazza qualcuno” — “He embarrasses someone”) rather than as a standalone noun.

In everyday Italian, imbarazzo is the conventional term for the concept, and imbarazzare is the verb that expresses the action of causing embarrassment. Imbarazza may appear in texts as part of the correct conjugation of imbarazzare, but it is not used as a noun on its own in standard, formal writing. Outside of this grammatical role, imbarazza is sometimes encountered as a misspelling or regional variant when writers intend the noun imbarazzo or the verb form imbarazzare.

Etymology and related forms: imbarazzo, the base noun, comes from the same root as the verb imbarazzare, with im- as a prefix and a root related to hindrance or difficulty. The word imbarazza shares that lineage through its verb form, rather than as an independent lexical entry.

See also: Imbarazzo; Imbarazzare; Embarrassment.