eman|ci|pate / I mæ ns I pe I t/ (emancipates , emancipating , emancipated ) VERB If people are emancipated , they are freed from unpleasant or unfair social, political, or legal restrictions. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] Catholics were emancipated in 1792. □ [V n] That war preserved the Union and emancipated the slaves. □ [V -ed] …the newly emancipated state. ● eman|ci|pa|tion / I mæ ns I pe I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the emancipation of women.
eman|ci|pat|ed / I mæ ns I pe I t I d/ ADJ If you describe someone as emancipated , you mean that they behave in a less restricted way than is traditional in their society. □ She is an emancipated woman.
emas|cu|late / I mæ skjʊle I t/ (emasculates , emasculating , emasculated )
1 VERB If someone or something is emasculated , they have been made weak and ineffective. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed] Left-wing dissidents have been emasculated and marginalised. □ [V n] The company tried to emasculate the unions. □ [V -ed] The local media are emasculated by censorship. ● emas|cu|la|tion / I mæskjʊle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the emasculation of fundamental freedoms.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a man is emasculated , he loses his male role, identity, or qualities. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed] Tosh was known to be a man who feared no-one, yet he was clearly emasculated by his girlfriend.
em|balm / I mbɑː m/ (embalms , embalming , embalmed ) VERB [usu passive] If a dead person is embalmed , their body is preserved using special substances. □ [be V -ed] His body was embalmed. □ [V -ed] …the embalmed body of Lenin.
em|bank|ment / I mbæ ŋkmənt/ (embankments ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] An embankment is a thick wall of earth that is built to carry a road or railway over an area of low ground, or to prevent water from a river or the sea from flooding the area. □ They climbed a steep embankment. □ …a railway embankment.
em|bar|go / I mbɑː r goʊ/ (embargoes , embargoing , embargoed )
1 N‑COUNT If one country or group of countries imposes an embargo against another, it forbids trade with that country. □ [+ against ] The United Nations imposed an arms embargo against the country. □ [+ on ] That country experienced comprehensive embargoes on trade and finance.
2 VERB If goods of a particular kind are embargoed , people are not allowed to import them from a particular country or export them to a particular country. □ [be V -ed] The fruit was embargoed. □ [V n] They embargoed oil shipments to the U.S. □ [V -ed] …embargoed goods.
em|bark / I mbɑː r k/ (embarks , embarking , embarked )
1 VERB If you embark on something new, difficult, or exciting, you start doing it. □ [V + on/upon ] He's embarking on a new career as a writer. □ [V + on/upon ] The government embarked on a programme of radical economic reform.
2 VERB When someone embarks on a ship, they go on board before the start of a journey. □ [V + on ] They travelled to Portsmouth, where they embarked on the battle cruiser HMS Renown. □ [V ] Bob ordered brigade HQ to embark. ● em|bar|ka|tion /e mbɑː r ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Embarkation was scheduled for just after 4 pm.
em|bar|rass / I mbæ rəs/ (embarrasses , embarrassing , embarrassed )
1 VERB If something or someone embarrasses you, they make you feel shy or ashamed. □ [V n] His clumsiness embarrassed him. □ [V n that] It embarrassed him that he had no idea of what was going on.
2 VERB If something embarrasses a public figure such as a politician or an organization such as a political party, it causes problems for them. □ [V n] …an attempt to find out who had leaked information that embarrassed the president.
em|bar|rassed / I mbæ rəst/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] A person who is embarrassed feels shy, ashamed, or guilty about something. □ He looked a bit embarrassed. □ …an embarrassed silence.
em|bar|rass|ing / I mbæ rəs I ŋ/
1 ADJ Something that is embarrassing makes you feel shy or ashamed. □ That was an embarrassing situation for me. □ Men find it embarrassing to be honest. ● em|bar|rass|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj/adv] □ Stephens had beaten him embarrassingly easily.
2 ADJ Something that is embarrassing to a public figure such as a politician or an organization such as a political party causes problems for them. □ He has put the government in an embarrassing position. □ [+ to ] The speech was deeply embarrassing to Cabinet ministers.
em|bar|rass|ment / I mbæ rəsmənt/ (embarrassments )
1 N‑VAR Embarrassment is the feeling you have when you are embarrassed. □ [+ to ] It is a source of embarrassment to Londoners that the standard of pubs is so low. □ We apologise for any embarrassment this may have caused.
2 N‑COUNT An embarrassment is an action, event, or situation which causes problems for a politician, political party, government, or other public group. □ [+ to ] The poverty figures were undoubtedly an embarrassment to the president.
3 N‑SING If you refer to a person as an embarrassment , you mean that you disapprove of them but cannot avoid your connection with them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ to ] You have been an embarrassment to us from the day Douglas married you.