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shame
[ sheym ]
noun
- the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another:
She was overcome with shame.
Antonyms: self-respect, self-esteem, pride
- susceptibility to this feeling:
to be without shame.
- disgrace; ignominy:
His actions brought shame upon his parents.
- a fact or circumstance bringing disgrace or regret:
The bankruptcy of the business was a shame. It was a shame you couldn't come with us.
verb (used with object)
- to cause to feel shame; make ashamed:
His cowardice shamed him.
- to publicly humiliate or shame for being or doing something specified (usually used in combination): dog-shaming pictures of canines chewing up shoes.
kids who've been fat-shamed and bullied;
dog-shaming pictures of canines chewing up shoes.
- to drive, force, etc., through shame:
He shamed her into going.
- to cover with ignominy or reproach; disgrace.
shame
/ ʃeɪm /
noun
- a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of having done something dishonourable, unworthy, degrading, etc
- capacity to feel such an emotion
- ignominy or disgrace
- a person or thing that causes this
- an occasion for regret, disappointment, etc
it's a shame you can't come with us
- put to shame
- to disgrace
- to surpass totally
interjection
- informal.
- an expression of sympathy
- an expression of pleasure or endearment
verb
- to cause to feel shame
- to bring shame on; disgrace
- often foll by into to compel through a sense of shame
he shamed her into making an apology
- name and shameSee name
Derived Forms
- ˈshamable, adjective
Other Words From
- shama·ble shamea·ble adjective
- shama·bly shamea·bly adverb
- half-shamed adjective
- outshame verb (used with object) outshamed outshaming
- un·shama·ble adjective
- un·shamea·ble adjective
- un·shamed adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of shame1
Word History and Origins
Origin of shame1
Idioms and Phrases
- put to shame,
- to cause to suffer shame or disgrace.
- to outdo; surpass:
She played so well she put all the other tennis players to shame.
- for shame! you should feel ashamed!:
What a thing to say to your mother! For shame!
More idioms and phrases containing shame
In addition to the idiom beginning with shame , also see crying shame ; for shame ; put to shame .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
His accusers were the ones shamed, as I once figured I would be if I accused my boss of assault.
That would put the Dark Ages monarchs of Europe to shame.
Going into debt and the remorse of buying unnecessary things adds to the shame spiral.
He concluded: "I continue to feel a profound sense of shame at the Church of England's historic safeguarding failures."
"It would be a shame to miss an opportunity to understand how the brain and mind function. All we have to do is ask the right questions."
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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