embarrass ♦︎ humiliate ♦︎ shame ♦︎ mortifyThese words all mean to make sb feel awkward or ashamed.这些词均表示使窘迫、使尴尬。SYNONYM SCALE 词义标尺下图显示这些词所表达使人尴尬的程度
embarrass
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humiliate
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mortify
shame
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS 句型和搭配◆to embarrass / humiliate sb in front of sb◆to be embarrassed / mortified at sth◆to embarrass / humiliate / shame sb by doing sth◆to be embarrassed / humiliated / mortified to do sth◆to embarrass / humiliate / shame yourself◆to publicly / deeply / utterly embarrass / humiliate / shame sb■embarrass [transitive] to make sb feel shy, awkward or ashamed, especially in a social situation; to cause problems or difficulties for sb(尤指在社交场合)使窘迫,使尴尬;使为难◆Her questions about my private life embarrassed me.她询问我有关私生活方面的问题,令我很难堪。◆It embarrassed her to meet strange men in the corridor at night.夜晚在走廊里邂逅陌生男子让她很尴尬。◆The speech was deliberately designed to embarrass the prime minister.这番话是故意要置首相于尴尬境地。▸embarrassing
adjective
◆an embarrassing mistake / question / situation令人尴尬的错误/问题/处境◆It was so embarrassing having to sing in public.被迫在众人面前唱歌真是太难为情了。▸embarrassment
noun
[uncountable, countable] ◆Much to her embarrassment she realized that everybody in the room had heard her.她意识到房间里每个人都听到了,感到很不好意思。◆His resignation will be a severe embarrassment to the party.他的辞职将使该党处于极度的困境。■humiliate hjuːˈmɪlieɪt [transitive] to make sb feel ashamed or stupid and lose the respect of other people羞辱;使丧失尊严◆I didn't want to humiliate her in front of her colleagues.我不想当着她同事的面令她难堪。◆The party was humiliated in the recent elections.该党在最近的选举中输得很难堪。▸humiliating
adjective
◆a humiliating defeat令人羞辱难堪的失败▸humiliation
noun
[uncountable, countable] ◆She suffered the humiliation of being criticized in public.她当众受到指责,很没面子。■shame [transitive] (writtenorformal) to make sb feel ashamed; to make sb feel that they have lost honour or respect使羞愧;使惭愧;使蒙受耻辱◆His generosity shamed them all.他的慷慨大方令他们所有人羞愧。◆She shamed her father into promising to help(= persuaded him to do it by making him feel ashamed not to do it).她令她父亲感到过意不去,只好答应帮忙。◆The companies that pollute our rivers should be named and shamed.那些污染了我们河流的公司应该上黑名单,公之于众。 see also shame ⇨ guiltnoun, shame ⇨ disgracenoun2▸shaming
adjective
◆a shaming defeat by a less experienced team■mortifyˈmɔːtɪfaɪ; NAmEˈmɔːrtɪfaɪ [transitive, usually passive] to make sb feel extremely ashamed or embarrassed使极度难堪;使无地自容◆She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said.她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了,真是羞得无地自容。ⓘ Mortify is sometimes used in an exaggerated way in spoken English, when it means 'slightly embarrassed', not 'extremely embarrassed'.在英语口语中,mortify有时用于夸张,意为略使尴尬,并非十分尴尬◆I was mortified when I realized I had forgotten our lunch date.当我发现忘记了我们约好那天一起吃午餐这件事时,我挺不好意思的。▸mortification
noun
[uncountable] ◆Imagine my mortification when I found out.想想看,当发现了实情,我有多难堪。▸mortifying
adjective
◆How mortifying to have to apologize to him!要向他道歉,多难为情啊!