shame
Americannoun
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shame
plural
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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.
-
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)
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shames,
present (3rd person singular)
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shamed,
past participle, past
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shaming
present participle
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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.
idioms
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put to shame,
-
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.
-
-
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
-
capacity to feel such an emotion
-
ignominy or disgrace
-
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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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outshameverb (used with object)
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half-shamedadjective
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shamableadjective
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shameableadjective
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unshamableadjective
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unshameableadjective
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unshamedadjective
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shamablyadverb
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shameablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shamesimple
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shamessimple
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have shamedperfect
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has shamedperfect
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am shamingprogressive
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are shamingprogressive
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is shamingprogressive
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have been shamingperfect progressive
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has been shamingperfect progressive
Past
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shamedsimple
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had shamedperfect
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was shamingprogressive
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were shamingprogressive
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had been shamingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
Shame is a painful feeling that's a mix of regret, self-hate, and dishonor. A good person would feel shame if they cheated on a test or did something mean to a friend. Feeling shame — or being ashamed — is one of the most miserable feelings of them all. When you feel shame, you feel like a bad person and regret what you did. If you're trying to make someone else feel bad by scolding them, you're shaming them. People also often say, "That's a shame," when something bad happens — meaning it's sad or a pity.
Vocabulary lists containing shame
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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.
See Examples For:
Most people, no shame, don’t put that much time into considering the inherent problems of the death penalty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2026
These sentiments have, regrettably, become a bit boilerplate, words many people say even as attempts to shame and silence sexual assault victims continue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
He said the revelation was a "nasty shock" which brought the country "collective shame" which lingers today.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
"It is a shame that some of the bigger European leaders aren't coming. We need Europe to be showing up strongly at this COP," Cosima Cassel, a climate diplomacy expert at think-tank E3G, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
If misfortune struck and a family could no longer afford to keep their dacha, the shame was terrible.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
The former head of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, Latheefa Koya, says his decision is "disgraceful, amoral, and shames the nation in the eyes of the international community".
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The second pilot meets their passengers’ fear with hysteria, shrieking, outburst—that pilot shames their passengers, saying, “I can’t do my job because of YOU.”
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
“That is a disgrace. It outrages and shames me deeply,” Scholz said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2023
She shames his grammar, then orders him to call Estella into the room.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2023
One of the shames I have carried for years is that I blame myself for all of this.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
The resulting outcry shamed the network and demonstrated the activating power of public outrage.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon explains how Hong went from star captain in 2002 shamed head coach in 2026.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
“I had decided to allow no room in the universe for something which shamed and frightened me.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
They could be shamed for bad behavior—even, on occasion, reap a consequence or two—and preferred dog whistles over airhorns.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
And so we were shamed into following her, and climbed down the steps to find a passage tunneled through thick ice.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Liberal Democrat London Assembly committee member Gareth Roberts said he was "interested" to see if Hillingdon's tactics of "naming and shaming" individuals worked to prevent fly tipping.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
And it would not catastrophize fetal harm, which lands as shaming rather than a warning.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
The thing about “Coat of Many Colors,” though, is that it doesn’t end with the narrator broadening her schoolmates’ minds or even with her shaming them for their cruelty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
My boss told me the truth without shaming me, and showed me how to do the same for others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
“You don’t mean that,” Mom said, shaming him with the tone of her voice.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
