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Preposition after adjective

Embarrassing for or embarrassing to?

Embarrassing for is the standard pattern for saying a situation causes embarrassment to someone. Embarrassing to is less common and usually appears before verbs.

Quick answer

How do you use embarrassing with prepositions?

Use embarrassing for someone to describe who experiences embarrassment. Embarrassing to often appears before a verb phrase, especially with personal actions.

It was embarrassing for the speaker.
It is embarrassing to admit the truth.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
embarrassing for + person

Showing who feels embarrassed

Use for to identify the person affected by the embarrassing situation.

The mistake was embarrassing for the whole team.
2
embarrassing to + verb

Describing uncomfortable actions

Use to before infinitive verbs such as admit, ask, or explain.

It was embarrassing to forget her name.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
embarrassing for
The incident was embarrassing for him.
causing embarrassment to a person
embarrassing to
It is embarrassing to speak in public sometimes.
describing an embarrassing action or experience

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to before a person

For is normally used before the person affected.

✕ The situation was embarrassing to me. ✓ The situation was embarrassing for me.

Using for before verbs

Use to before infinitive verbs.

✕ It was embarrassing for admit that. ✓ It was embarrassing to admit that.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The error was embarrassing ___ the company.
2. It can be embarrassing ___ ask for help.
3. The interview was embarrassing ___ everyone involved.

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Frequently asked questions

Can embarrassing to me be correct?

It is less natural in modern English than embarrassing for me.

Why is embarrassing to followed by a verb?

The infinitive explains the action that feels embarrassing.

Can I say embarrassing about?

Embarrassing about is not a standard adjective pattern.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "economical with" or "economical in"? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"?

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