i was embarrassing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I was embarrassing" is not correct in standard English.
Did you mean "I was embarrassed"? You can use "I was embarrassed" when describing a situation where you felt self-conscious or ashamed about something you did or said. Example: "When I tripped in front of everyone at the party, I was embarrassed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

I was embarrassing".

The New Yorker

"Mike Shannon, who became a St . Louisbroadcaster, told me I was embarrassing his number because I was wearing No. 18.

The New York Times - Sports

I did a little war dance on the deck and yelled, but felt I was embarrassing myself in front of the creature.

The New York Times

Around the time I was embarrassing myself on the wooden skis, Kandahar city was rocked by a massive vehicle bomb parked outside a hotel.

The Guardian

All I did was I told them I loved them if I was drunk and I was embarrassing to their friends.

The New York Times

"I hate sitting out, but I looked at the tape of myself in games and I was embarrassing myself," Gill said.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

And I was embarrassed.

The New York Times

"I was embarrassed".

The New York Times - Food

I was embarrassed, too.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I was embarrassed," she explained.

The New Yorker

"I was embarrassed," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I was embarrassed" to describe your own feelings of shame or awkwardness. The phrasing "I was embarrassing" suggests you were causing embarrassment to others, which requires careful context to be understood correctly.

Common error

Avoid using "I was embarrassing" when you mean "I was embarrassed". The first implies you were the cause of embarrassment, while the second indicates you experienced the feeling.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I was embarrassing" functions as a verb phrase where "was" is the auxiliary verb and "embarrassing" is intended as a participle. However, Ludwig AI indicates this usage is often incorrect, as it confuses the active and passive voice. When the intended meaning is to describe experiencing embarrassment, the correct form is "I was embarrassed."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "I was embarrassing" appears in some contexts, mainly in informal news and media, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect by Ludwig AI when expressing a feeling of personal embarrassment. The correct form to express your own feeling is "I was embarrassed". This confusion arises from the incorrect use of the active participle "embarrassing" instead of the passive participle "embarrassed". Therefore, it's better to use alternatives that clearly convey your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I was ashamed

This alternative focuses on the internal feeling of shame experienced by the speaker.

I felt embarrassed

This alternative also emphasizes the feeling of embarrassment rather than the action of causing it.

I was causing embarrassment

This clarifies that the speaker's actions were creating an embarrassing situation.

I was making a fool of myself

This emphasizes the speaker's perception of their actions as foolish or ridiculous.

I was acting shamefully

This focuses on the behavior being the cause of the shame.

I was humiliating myself

This suggests a more severe level of embarrassment, bordering on public degradation.

I was the object of ridicule

This shifts the focus to the speaker being the one ridiculed, implying embarrassment.

I was a laughingstock

This indicates a loss of respect because of something ridiculous that happened.

My behavior was mortifying

Focuses on the behavior as the source of intense shame or embarrassment.

I cut a sorry figure

This describes a situation where someone appears to be in a pitiful or embarrassing state.

FAQs

What's the difference between "I was embarrassing" and "I was embarrassed"?

"I was embarrassing" suggests you were causing someone else to feel embarrassed. "I was embarrassed" describes your own feeling of shame or awkwardness.

Is "I was embarrassing" grammatically correct?

No, "I was embarrassing" is generally considered grammatically incorrect when the intention is to express one's own feelings of embarrassment. The correct phrasing is "I was embarrassed".

What can I say instead of "I was embarrassing" to describe how I felt?

You can use alternatives like "I felt embarrassed", "I was ashamed", or "I was mortified" to accurately convey your feelings.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "I was embarrassing"?

It's appropriate to use "I was embarrassing" when you want to convey that your actions were causing someone else to feel embarrassed, although it's more common to use "I was causing embarrassment" for clarity.