shame

[ sheym ]

/ ʃeɪm /

noun

the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another: She was overcome with shame.

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), shamed, sham·ing.

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): 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.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?

Question 1 of 10

advocate

to give up possession or occupancy of.

to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.

to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for shame

for shame! you should feel ashamed!: What a thing to say to your mother! For shame!

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.

Origin of shame

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English sc(e)amu; cognate with German Scham, Old Norse skǫmm; (v.) Middle English schamen, shamien to be ashamed, Old English sc(e)amian, derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR shame

1 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.

5 humiliate, mortify, humble, abash, embarrass.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shame ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR shame

1 pride, self-esteem, self-respect.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR shame ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM shame

sham·a·ble, shame·a·ble, adjectivesham·a·bly, shame·a·bly, adverbhalf-shamed, adjectiveout·shame, verb (used with object), out·shamed, out·sham·ing.

un·sham·a·ble, adjectiveun·shame·a·ble, adjectiveun·shamed, adjective

Words nearby shame

shamateur, shamba, shamble, shambles, shambolic, shame, shame on you, shamefaced, shamefast, shameful, shameless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for shame

But there's a ton of value for me in my background and my history, and losing it would be a shame.
My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As ever, Jon Stewart and The Daily Show crew encouraged us to find some humor alongside the horror and the shame.
Jon Stewart Laughs to Keep From Vomiting at the CIA Report|Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The post-dinner conversations of staffers and policy-makers was seamed with shame, and even defeatism.
Indefensible but Indispensable America|Jamie Dettmer|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's a shame, because Samberg's work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been stronger than ever this past season.
15 Enraging Golden Globe TV Snubs and Surprises: Amy Poehler, 'Mad Men' & More|Kevin Fallon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Her own muddled feelings of confusion, shame, and fear are what make the essay great and what make the essay her story.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Oh, what a shame to take him through the streets in such a helpless condition!
Fireside Stories for Girls in Their Teens|Margaret White Eggleston
It's a shame to see a minister of the Gospel drowning his grief in liquor.
The Life of Thomas Wanless, Peasant|Alexander Johnstone Wilson
The willows,” he says, “bow themselves to every wind, out of shame for their unfruitfulness.
Rubiyt of Omar Khayym and Salmn and Absl|Omar Khayym and Ralph Waldo Emerson
The church of Rome has acted upon this principle, and even Protestants (to the shame of Protestantism) have followed her example.
Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy, Volume II|Charles Henry Mackintosh
She must be put to grief and shame, while he, the one on whose head the real sin lay, escaped.
How It All Came Round|L. T. Meade

British Dictionary definitions for shame

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, etcit's a shame you can't come with us

put to shame

to disgrace
to surpass totally

interjection

Southern African informal

an expression of sympathy
an expression of pleasure or endearment

verb (tr)

to cause to feel shame

to bring shame on; disgrace

(often foll by into) to compel through a sense of shamehe shamed her into making an apology

name and shame See name (def. 17)

Derived forms of shame

shamable or shameable, adjective

Word Origin for shame

Old English scamu; related to Old Norse skömm, Old High German skama

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with shame

shame

In addition to the idiom beginning with shame

shame on you

also see:

crying shame
for shame
put to shame

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WORD OF THE DAY

shame

noun

verb (used with object), shamed, sham·ing.