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Embarrass vs Distress - What's the difference?

embarrass | distress | Synonyms |

Embarrass is a synonym of distress.


As verbs the difference between embarrass and distress

is that embarrass is to humiliate; to disrupt somebody's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely; to disconcert; to abash while distress is to cause strain or anxiety to someone.

As a noun distress is

(cause of) discomfort.

embarrass

English

Verb

(es)
  • to humiliate; to disrupt somebody's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely; to disconcert; to abash
    • The crowd's laughter and jeers embarrassed him.
  • To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct.
    • Business is embarrassed'''; public affairs are '''embarrassed .
  • To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to encumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands.
    • A man or his business is embarrassed when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.

    Synonyms

    * (humiliate) abash, discomfit, disconcert, humiliate, shame * See also

    Derived terms

    * embarrassment

    External links

    * *

    distress

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (Cause of) discomfort.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1833 , author=John Trusler , title=The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings , chapter=8 citation , passage=To heighten his distress , he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child, the innocent offspring of her amours, fainting at the sight of his misfortunes, being unable to relieve him farther), and plunging her into those difficulties she never shall be able to surmount.}}
  • Serious danger.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1719 , author=Daniel Defoe , title=Robinson Crusoe , chapter=13 citation , passage=I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress , and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.}}
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1759 , author=Voltaire , title=Candide , chapter=42 citation , passage=At length they perceived a little cottage; two persons in the decline of life dwelt in this desert, who were always ready to give every assistance in their power to their fellow-creatures in distress .}}
  • (legal) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.
  • (legal) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.
  • * Spenser
    • If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.
  • * Blackstone
    • The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.

    Related terms

    * distrain * district

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cause strain or anxiety to someone.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1827 , author=Stendhal , title=Armance , chapter=31 citation , passage=She respects me, no doubt, but has no longer any passionate feeling for me, and my death will distress her without plunging her in despair.}}
  • (legal) To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.
  • *
  • To treat an object, such as an antique, to give it an appearance of age.
    • She distressed the new media cabinet so that it fit with the other furniture in the room.

    External links

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