shame
Americannoun
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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
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susceptibility to this feeling.
to be without shame.
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disgrace; ignominy.
His actions brought shame upon his parents.
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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)
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to cause to feel shame; make ashamed.
His cowardice shamed him.
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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.
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to drive, force, etc., through shame.
He shamed her into going.
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to cover with ignominy or reproach; disgrace.
idioms
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put to shame,
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to cause to suffer shame or disgrace.
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to outdo; surpass.
She played so well she put all the other tennis players to shame.
-
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for shame! you should feel ashamed!.
What a thing to say to your mother! For shame!
noun
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a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of having done something dishonourable, unworthy, degrading, etc
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capacity to feel such an emotion
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ignominy or disgrace
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a person or thing that causes this
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an occasion for regret, disappointment, etc
it's a shame you can't come with us
-
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to disgrace
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to surpass totally
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interjection
verb
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to cause to feel shame
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to bring shame on; disgrace
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(often foll by into) to compel through a sense of shame
he shamed her into making an apology
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See name
Related Words
Shame, embarrassment, mortification, humiliation, chagrin designate different kinds or degrees of painful feeling caused by injury to one's pride or self-respect. Shame is a painful feeling caused by the consciousness or exposure of unworthy or indecent conduct or circumstances: One feels shame at being caught in a lie. It is similar to guilt in the nature and origin of the feeling. Embarrassment usually refers to a feeling less painful than that of shame, one associated with less serious situations, often of a social nature: embarrassment over breaking a teacup at a party. Mortification is a more painful feeling, akin to shame but also more likely to arise from specifically social circumstances: his mortification at being singled out for rebuke. Humiliation is mortification at being humbled in the estimation of others: Being ignored gives one a sense of humiliation. Chagrin is humiliation mingled with vexation or anger: She felt chagrin at her failure to remember her promise.
Other Word Forms
- half-shamed adjective
- outshame verb (used with object)
- shamable adjective
- shamably adverb
- shameable adjective
- shameably adverb
- unshamable adjective
- unshameable adjective
- unshamed adjective
Etymology
Origin of shame
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English sc(i)amu; cognate with German Scham, Old Norse skǫmm; (verb) Middle English schamen, shamien “to be ashamed,” Old English sc(e)amian, derivative of the noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This catalogue of failures can only be a source of shame for the Church," said Vann.
From BBC
"There are definitely some people who don't appear to be using their houses as their permanent residence, which is a shame," Priestley-Jayes says.
From BBC
He takes no responsibility, feels no shame for the business he is in.
From BBC
And it would be a shame to leave, missing out on all that freezing cold wintry splendor.
From Literature
My friend was shamed for reporting a coyote sighting in her desert neighborhood on Nextdoor and took the post down.
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.
