what is the difference between two words "awkward" and "embarrass"?

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The words "awkward" and "embarrass" (along with its adjective forms "embarrassed" and "embarrassing") are related to social discomfort but focus on different aspects of the experience. Here's a breakdown of the key differences:

• Core Meaning & Focus:
  
  • Awkward (Adjective): Primarily describes a situation, behavior, interaction, or physical state that is uncomfortable, clumsy, difficult to handle, or socially inept. It emphasizes the objective nature of the circumstance or action itself.
    
    • Examples: An awkward silence, an awkward question, awkward movements, an awkward phase in life, an awkward shape to carry.
      
  • Embarrass (Verb) / Embarrassed (Adj.) / Embarrassing (Adj.): Primarily describes the subjective feeling of shame, self-consciousness, or mortification experienced by a person, or the action/event that causes that feeling. It focuses on the internal emotional state of the individual.
    
    • Examples: She was embarrassed when she tripped. (Feeling) / His loud comment embarrassed his friend. (Caused the feeling) / It was an embarrassing mistake. (Causing the feeling)
      
    
    
• Cause vs. Effect:
  
  • Awkward: Often describes the source or nature of the discomfort. An awkward situation might lead to embarrassment.
    
    • Example: The interview was awkward (the situation itself was difficult/stilted), which made him feel embarrassed (his resulting emotion).
      
  • Embarrass(ed/ing): Describes the emotional reaction (embarrassed) or something that triggers that reaction (embarrassing).
    
    • Example: Forgetting the client's name was embarrassing (it caused the emotion), and she felt deeply embarrassed (the emotion itself).
      
    
    
• Scope:
  
  • Awkward: Has a broader range. It can describe physical clumsiness, social ineptness, difficult situations, or even objects that are hard to handle. It doesn't always involve shame.
    
    • Example: Putting together IKEA furniture can be awkward (physically difficult, but not necessarily shameful).
      
  • Embarrass(ed/ing): Primarily relates to feelings or events involving shame, self-consciousness, loss of dignity, or exposure of a vulnerability. It inherently involves a negative social judgment (real or perceived).
    
• Subject:
  
  • Awkward: Modifies situations, behaviors, actions, objects, or people (e.g., an awkward person, an awkward moment).
  • Embarrass(ed/ing):
    
    • Embarrassed: Describes the person feeling the shame (e.g., I am embarrassed).
    • Embarrassing: Describes the thing or event causing the shame (e.g., an embarrassing photo, an embarrassing situation).
    • Embarrass: The verb meaning to cause someone to feel ashamed (e.g., You embarrassed me).
      
    
    

Summary & Key Distinction:

• Awkward = Clumsy, Uncomfortable, Difficult, Inept (describes the situation/behavior itself).
• Embarrass(ed/ing) = Ashamed, Self-Conscious, Mortified (describes the feeling or something that causes that feeling).
  

Simple Test:

• If you're describing something that feels clumsy, stilted, difficult to navigate, or socially inept (without necessarily implying deep shame), use awkward.
• If you're describing the feeling of shame or self-consciousness, or something that makes someone feel that way, use embarrassed, embarrassing, or the verb embarrass.
  

Example Contrast:

• "It was awkward when they both showed up to the party wearing the same dress." (The situation was socially uncomfortable/difficult)
• "She was embarrassed when they both showed up to the party wearing the same dress." (She felt shame/self-consciousness)
• "It was embarrassing for her when they both showed up to the party wearing the same dress." (The event caused her shame)