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Second Hand Embarrassment 

When you feel so embarrassed for someone else's actions that you feel the embarrassment for yourself as well.
Stefanie is singing loudly in Portuguese! I feel second hand embarrassment... I can't be in the same room right now.

vicarious embarrassment 

The very uncomfortable sympathetic feeling experienced while you watch someone else embarrassing themselves. This feeling is often intensified when the person embarrassing themself is not aware of how embarrassing their behavior is. In this case it is more like you are feeling the embarrassment on their behalf.
George: OMG, dude...this talent show is killing me. The fat girl dancing to 'Ice, Ice, Baby'...
Dude: I know man, I know...all the wrong things are jiggling--
George: --And her dancing! Everyone is laughing and she just keeps going. It's like a trainwreck right now. I don't even want to watch!
Dude: Total vicarious embarrassment right now, man.
George: Ugh. Let me know when it's over.
vicarious embarrassment by cuntwurst November 17, 2011

secondhand embarrassment 

The personal embarrassment that one feels on account of and for another (i.e. a friend, a family member or a complete stranger) who is making a fool of him or herself. A person experiencing secondhand embarrassment feels as if they are doing the embarrassing action themselves, effectively putting themselves in the other person's shoes.
Guy 1: Man, Sarah's presentation today was terrible. She forgot half of it and stumbled through the rest.
Guy 2: Oh I know. I had so much secondhand embarrassment for her. It was like watching a train wreck.

2nd hand embarrassment 

Someone else embarrassing the shit out of themselves, so much that you get extremely embarrassed for them.
“Did you see her dress? It’s so ugly, I literally got 2nd hand embarrassment.”
2nd hand embarrassment by Yoyoyoboys December 22, 2018

Third Party Embarrassment 

Third party embarrassment is similar to second hand embarrassment. However, the third party does not witness the embarrassing act. The second person tranfers the embarrassment to the third party via communication ie: phone,text,email or in person after the initial act of embarrassment has taken place.
Guy 1: While giving a speech during a meeting at work farts really loud

Guy 2: a co worker also in the meeting experiences second hand embarrassment for guy 1.
Guy 2: shortly after the meeting, tells another coworker what happened during his meeting who was not present.
Guy 3: experiences third party emabarrassment.

Please note:

For third party Embarrassment to happen, Second Hand Embarrassment must occur before hand.

Second-Hand Embarrassment 

When you cringe while watching people embarrassing/publicly humiliating themselves, especially when they DON'T deserve it. People who suffer from this are generally empaths, or they may suffer from severe social anxiety.
"I tried to tell my friends that Dave couldn't dance, but they forced him to anyway. I got second-hand embarrassment in the worst way while watching him. By the time I pulled him out, his face was the deepest shade of red imaginable, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was trying not to cry from embarrassment. We haven't been on speaking terms with those "friends" since that incident."

Moral of the story: Don't force people to do things they're not comfortable with, especially under protest. It may be funny to you, but you've gotta think of other people.
More from Urban Dictionary

No Surprises Wedding

A "No Surprises Wedding," or NSW, is a wedding invitation designation that tells attendees that there can be no unplanned announcements, engagements, events or speeches at the wedding - all actions must be pre-approved by the couple. Anyone who performs an unapproved "surprise" will be asked to leave the wedding early.

This designation comes from Reddit, where so many stories of bad wedding behavior indicated a need to communicate expectations for the wedding behavior of attendees.
You are cordially invited to the nuptials of Brian and Tom on October 31 at noon.

Please note that this wedding is child-free (under 10) and a No Surprises Wedding (NSW). Reach out to wedding planner Sami Smith to request approvals or exceptions; please note that exceptions will be rare. Limited child care for under-10s will be available. All approvals will be noted and included in planning. Unapproved, or surprise exceptions, will result in guests being asked to leave.
Word of the Day on November 8, 2026
Ulzzang true definition is "best & "face" = best face in korean. They are basically people with above average looks, sometimes with the use of photoshop and haduri who post their pics online, some becoming internet celebrities.
"Hey, see that chick over there? She's pretty enough to be an ulzzang. :D"
ulzzang by `r i k kit t y February 26, 2008
Word of the Day on November 7, 2026
EBK stands for "Elite Ball Knowledge." 1 In internet slang, "ball knowledge" originally referred to a deep understanding of football/soccer or basketball, but it has evolved into a broader term for having a highly sophisticated, deep, or niche understanding of any specific topic (such as music, movies, or subcultures).
Person A: "That scene was a direct homage to an unreleased 1982 Japanese indie film."
Person B: "Wow, EBK."
EBK by silwhett November 5, 2026
Word of the Day on November 6, 2026
A seemingly endless debate with a idiot
I don't know man im not ready for yap trap stupidity today which always tries to suck you into it
Yap Trap by WolfieSnack November 4, 2026
Word of the Day on November 5, 2026
Texas is categorized as a swing state in presidential elections, but has voted for Republicans more times than for Democrats in recent history. As such, as demographics change political alignments, some Democrats believe that Texas will vote blue, or Democratic, due to their Hispanic and African American voters, who often align themselves with the Democratic Party's liberal wing.

Blexas has been cited as possible in the upcoming decades, but only if Democrats continue to win the Hispanic vote in bigger margins.
Democrat 1: What is your prediction for the 2024 presidential election?
Democrat 2: Well uh, Blexas!
Democrat 1: You've been saying that since 2008 though.
Blexas by Tritonist June 14, 2021
Word of the Day on November 4, 2026

briefcake 

"Did you check out the briefcake in courtroom C?"
briefcake by Ben Frey April 6, 2006
Word of the Day on November 3, 2026
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