totally embarrassing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'totally embarrassing' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation that is particularly mortifying. For example: "My boss asked me a question in front of everyone and I totally embarrassed myself when I gave the wrong answer."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

It's totally embarrassing when your wife is always beating you".

The New York Times - Sports

And in the sequence where he brings in the dead body I find it totally embarrassing.

The Guardian - Music

"When you have a public forum where you're totally embarrassing these companies, they've got to do something about it," Ms. West said.

The New York Times

Showing feelings is totally embarrassing.

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica

"It was totally embarrassing to be famous and homeless," he confesses.

Huffington Post

To the editor: After totally embarrassing himself in front of a national audience, Trump still has supporters?

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Heck, if we think back to the times when we didn't get the job, or the time that we used mint-chocolate ice cream to make ourselves feel better after a break up, or the time that we totally embarrassed ourselves in front of everyone we knew -- no matter how embarrassing or bad the situation is -- we can find something meaningful that came out of the experience.

Huffington Post

I was totally embarrassed.

The New Yorker

"I'm totally embarrassed by that kind of football.

The New York Times - Sports

We like R&B and love to dance even though we totally embarrass our children.

The New York Times

"I'm totally embarrassed by my ring," said Jay Mandel, a literary agent in New York who uses a Sprint PCS Touchpoint phone.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "totally embarrassing" to underscore a situation that evokes a strong sense of shame or awkwardness, ensuring the context warrants such emphasis.

Common error

Avoid using "totally embarrassing" in formal writing or professional settings where a more nuanced or sophisticated term would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "totally embarrassing" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to describe something that causes a strong feeling of shame or awkwardness. It intensifies the degree of embarrassment, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "totally embarrassing" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English used to describe situations that evoke a strong sense of shame or awkwardness. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for various contexts, although more commonly found in informal settings. When writing, it's best to consider the audience and context to determine if a more formal term would be more appropriate. While the phrase is generally clear and effective, overuse, especially in formal writing, should be avoided. Alternatives like "utterly mortifying" or "deeply humiliating" may be more suitable in certain situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly mortifying

Replaces "embarrassing" with "mortifying" and "totally" with "utterly", intensifying the feeling of shame.

completely humiliating

Substitutes "embarrassing" with "humiliating" and "totally" with "completely", emphasizing the demeaning aspect.

thoroughly ashamed

Shifts the focus to the feeling of shame rather than the embarrassing situation itself.

incredibly awkward

Replaces "embarrassing" with "awkward", highlighting the uncomfortable nature of the situation.

terribly mortified

Emphasizes the intensity of feeling mortified.

absolutely cringeworthy

Uses a more informal term, "cringeworthy", to describe something that makes you wince.

deeply ashamed

Highlights the profound feeling of shame.

extremely humiliating

Focuses on the extreme level of humiliation experienced.

remarkably awkward

Highlights the notable degree of awkwardness in a situation.

plain embarrassing

A simpler, less intense way of saying something is embarrassing. It does not add the intensification factor of "totally"

FAQs

How can I use "totally embarrassing" in a sentence?

You can use "totally embarrassing" to describe situations that cause a significant amount of shame or awkwardness. For example, "It was "totally embarrassing" when I tripped on stage during the presentation."

What are some alternatives to saying "totally embarrassing"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "utterly mortifying", "completely humiliating", or "incredibly awkward".

Is "totally embarrassing" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "totally embarrassing" is generally considered informal. In formal writing, consider using more sophisticated alternatives like "utterly mortifying" or "deeply humiliating".

What makes a situation "totally embarrassing"?

A situation becomes "totally embarrassing" when it causes a significant degree of shame, awkwardness, or humiliation, often due to public exposure or a perceived failure.