shameful
Americanadjective
-
causing shame.
shameful behavior.
- Synonyms:
- humiliating
-
disgraceful or scandalous.
shameful treatment.
- Synonyms:
- low, base, vile, ignominious, dishonorable
- Antonyms:
- honorable
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shameful
before 950; Middle English; Old English scamful. See shame, -ful
Explanation
Cheating to win a game is a shameful act because it goes against fairness and honesty. Any shameful act can leave you feeling guilty and embarrassed if you get caught — as it should. The word shameful describes actions or behaviors that are disgraceful. For example, cheating on a test or telling a hurtful lie are shameful acts because they betray the values of trustworthiness, honesty, and kindness. When someone does something shameful, they are held in a state of dishonor, leading to feelings of regret and a desire to try and make things right.
Vocabulary lists containing shameful
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.
Headlined “The Shameful Wrong That Must Be Righted,” the ad claimed that the Nobel Prize committee had unfairly denied him the prize.
From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2022
“I like to say that envy is a universal emotion that nobody seems to have,” said Josh Gressel, author of the book “Embracing Envy: Finding the Spiritual Treasure in our Most Shameful Emotion.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2021
"How could you do such a disservice to a vibrant, beautiful woman? Shameful."
From Fox News • Jan. 12, 2021
In those same messages, Gunst and Alford also trace the first use of “rage baking” to a 2013 Tumblr post on novelist Erika Swyler’s blog the Shameful Baker.
From Slate • Feb. 27, 2020
Shameful, miserable termination of all her hopes for her boy's career!
From The Ivory Gate, a new edition by Besant, Walter, Sir
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.
