shame

American  

[sheym] / ʃeɪm /

noun

• shame
  plural

1. 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

2. susceptibility to this feeling.

   to be without shame.

3. disgrace; ignominy.

   His actions brought shame upon his parents.

4. 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.

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verb (used with object)

• shames,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shamed,
  past participle,  past
• shaming
  present participle

1. to cause to feel shame; make ashamed.

   His cowardice shamed him.

   Synonyms:

   embarrass, abash, humble, mortify, humiliate

2. 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.

3. to drive, force, etc., through shame.

   He shamed her into going.

4. to cover with ignominy or reproach; disgrace.

idioms

1. put to shame,

   1. to cause to suffer shame or disgrace.

   2. to outdo; surpass.

      She played so well she put all the other tennis players to shame.

2. for shame! you should feel ashamed!.

   What a thing to say to your mother! For shame!

shame British  

/ ʃeɪm /

noun

1. a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of having done something dishonourable, unworthy, degrading, etc

2. capacity to feel such an emotion

3. ignominy or disgrace

4. a person or thing that causes this

5. an occasion for regret, disappointment, etc

   it's a shame you can't come with us

6. 1. to disgrace

   2. to surpass totally

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interjection

1. informal

   1. an expression of sympathy

   2. an expression of pleasure or endearment

verb

1. to cause to feel shame

2. to bring shame on; disgrace

3. (often foll by into) to compel through a sense of shame

   he shamed her into making an apology

4. See name

shame More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing shame

• crying shame
• for shame
• put to shame

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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

• outshame
  verb (used with object)
• half-shamed
  adjective
• shamable
  adjective
• shameable
  adjective
• unshamable
  adjective
• unshameable
  adjective
• unshamed
  adjective
• shamably
  adverb
• shameably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shame
  plural

Participles

• shaming
  present
• shamed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shame
  simple
• shames
  simple
• have shamed
  perfect
• has shamed
  perfect
• am shaming
  progressive
• are shaming
  progressive
• is shaming
  progressive
• have been shaming
  perfect progressive
• has been shaming
  perfect progressive

Past

• shamed
  simple
• had shamed
  perfect
• was shaming
  progressive
• were shaming
  progressive
• had been shaming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shame
  simple
• will have shamed
  perfect
• will be shaming
  progressive
• will have been shaming
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shame shames shamed shaming

"It hasn't rained for half an hour and it's as bright as it's been all day. Absolutely no justification for not playing right now. A real shame."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

It considers a woman’s own health, not just the baby’s, and communicates risk without shame or a heavy hand.

From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026

It’s a shame that the infighting over “Make Believe” distracts from the merits of a book that is, in all respects, a tribute to the possibilities and promise of children’s literature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Multiple women diagnosed later in life told her the diagnosis alleviated some of the shame and confusion they felt about their differences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Bought fancy new clothes for the occasion, too, I see. Be a shame to cancel now, eh?”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The memory of it shames me even now as I hear, in my mind, his answer echo down the years.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

It shames me all day with the ballooning total.

From Slate ● Nov. 16, 2024

“That is a disgrace. It outrages and shames me deeply,” Scholz said.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 9, 2023

And, she shames her own mother for latching onto Desi customs.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2023

I practically couldn’t read my handwriting myself; it shames even to remember it.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

The good news is that the much-needed public discussion of this issue is starting to break through the shamed silence.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

And seeking a bit of help from commercial emulsifiers shouldn’t be shamed.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

On social media, fans shared the video and shamed the man for his behavior, with some looking to make his identity public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

"What happened today shamed the game north of the border."

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

With a shamed frown, he opened his mouth.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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

The post took off in the military town that sits on the Cumberland River, where Fort Campbell is based, and where Facebook shaming apparently still holds significant reputational sway.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Secret recording has also taken place by individuals - including Margerison - at various Comic Con cosplay events, prompting attendees to complain of invasion of privacy, harassment and "body shaming".

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 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

My traumatic experiences with bad skin happened before terms like "fat shaming" and "slut shaming" were invented, but even today, no one seems to mention that skin shaming also exists.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• confusion
• contempt
• guilt
• humiliation
• irritation
• remorse
• scandal
• stigma