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Egg on one's face

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The state of being deeply embarrassed or humiliated, especially after making a foolish mistake or having one's error publicly exposed.

Detailed Definition
Egg on one's face means public embarrassment caused by a mistake, foolish claim, failed plan, or exposed pretension. In poetry, it can support satire, comic monologue, or poems about shame and social judgement. The image is deliberately undignified, placing humiliation on the face, where identity and reputation are most visible. It can be used lightly for slapstick embarrassment or more sharply to deflate pride. A poet may contrast the ridiculous surface of the idiom with deeper fears of being seen as foolish.
Example
Example in poetry:
A satirical poem might leave the boastful mayor with egg on his face; In a comic ballad, the suitor's grand entrance ends with egg on his face; The phrase can show public embarrassment after foolish confidence; A poet might use it to soften ridicule with humour rather than cruelty.
Additional Notes
Egg on one's face suggests visible embarrassment after a mistake, failed boast, or public humiliation. In poetry, it can bring comic concreteness to shame, making an abstract emotion messy and bodily. The phrase suits satire, dramatic monologue, and poems about pride undone. Students should observe that it is informal and slightly ridiculous; used in a serious poem, it can deliberately deflate grandeur or expose the absurdity of human vanity.
Also Known As
embarrassed
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