walk of shame

American  

[wawk uhv sheym] / ˈwɔk əv ˈʃeɪm /

noun

Slang.

1. the return trip home the morning after an unplanned sexual encounter, usually a one-night stand, wearing clothing from the previous evening.

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Usage

What does walk of shame mean? The walk of shame is when someone goes back home the morning after partying and hooking up with someone, typically wearing the same clothes from the night before because they hadn’t planned on the sexual encounter.This use of walk of shame is often seen as sexist, because it frequently slut-shames women.Walk of shame is sometimes used in more general, non-sexual senses for when someone has to face the public after an embarrassing moment.What are some other words related to walk of shame?one-night standhook-upvictory lapNetflix and chill

Etymology

Origin of walk of shame

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

As he took the “walk of shame” toward the guard station to notify them of his injuries, our eyes locked.

From Slate

Holly said she and her friends had "bled through our underwear", adding: "One of my friends bled through onto a chair and had to do a walk of shame. It was one of her first periods and people made fun of her for weeks."

From BBC

But I would be lying if I said we didn’t enjoy seeing people getting turned away and doing a kind of walk of shame to the end of the line.

From Los Angeles Times

When that happens, residents are forced to defecate in wastebaskets in their rooms and then, he said, take “the walk of shame” to deposit their feces in hallway trash rooms.

From Los Angeles Times

As she took meetings across her district on a recent Wednesday, she shared personal details, joking with a reporter about doing the “walk of shame” home from her fiancé’s house and talking openly about her struggle with long Covid.

From New York Times