fremdschämen
to feel embarrassed on someone else's behalf, secondhand embarrassment
Advanced Verb
🔊
Pronunciation
/ˈfʁɛmtˌʃɛːmən/
💡
Cultural Note
A relatively modern German compound (fremd = foreign/other + schämen = to be ashamed) that perfectly describes watching someone do something so cringe-worthy that YOU feel embarrassed for them. It went viral as an untranslatable word and was voted one of Germany's favorite words. Reflects the German talent for creating precise emotional vocabulary.
📝 Example Sentences
Ich muss mich fremdschämen, wenn ich das sehe.
I feel secondhand embarrassment watching that.
Bei seiner Rede habe ich mich so fremdgeschämt.
I was so embarrassed for him during his speech.
Fremdschämen ist das schlimmste Gefühl.
Secondhand embarrassment is the worst feeling.