1
a
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
She felt ashamed for hitting her brother.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Losing is nothing to be ashamed of.
He was deeply ashamed of his behavior.
b
: feeling inferior or unworthy
2
: reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment
I was ashamed to be seen with him.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer.
ashamedly adverb

Examples of ashamed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Larsa Pippen isn't ashamed to be taking good care of her teenage daughter. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Kristin Cavallari is not ashamed to be dating a younger man. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The stigma kleptomaniacs face can leave them feeling ashamed, embarrassed or afraid to seek support. Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 In that moment, Tony appears neither defiant nor ashamed, only a little sad and, perhaps, resigned. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 Antisemitism and Hollywood Our industry should be ashamed of its silence. Leo Pearlman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2024 But as the 2016 presidential election approached, and the crude remarks that Mr. Trump had made about women and immigrants dominated the news cycle, Ms. Gottlieb felt ashamed. Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Maybe money was a hush-hush topic in one partner’s childhood, for instance, or personal insecurities (like feeling ashamed about credit card debt) are getting in the way of honest communication. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 Feb. 2024 There’s no need to be ashamed; a lack of self-control isn’t fully to blame. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ashamed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English āscamod, past participle of āscamian to shame, from ā- (perfective prefix) + scamian to shame — more at abide, shame

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ashamed was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ashamed

Cite this Entry

“Ashamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashamed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ashamed

adjective
1
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
ashamed of my behavior
2
: kept from doing something by an expectation of shame
ashamed to beg
ashamedly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ashamed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!