shame

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety
b
: the susceptibility to such emotion
have you no shame?
2
: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : ignominy
the shame of being arrested
3
a
: something that brings censure or reproach
also : something to be regretted : pity
it's a shame you can't go
b
: a cause of feeling shame

shame

2 of 2

verb

shamed; shaming

transitive verb

1
: to bring shame to : disgrace
shamed the family name
2
: to put to shame by outdoing
3
: to cause to feel shame
4
: to force by causing to feel guilty
shamed into confessing

Examples of shame in a Sentence

Noun He felt shame for his lies. How could you be so rude? Have you no shame? Her crimes brought shame upon her family. He had to endure the shame of being fired. Verb He was shamed by his behavior at the party. shamed the family name with his conviction for embezzlement
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Since then, clients have hired him to name and shame employers and businesses in various fields — food service, the garment industry, construction workers. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Through discussion and embodied exercises, participants will cover areas such as playfulness and desire and learn to touch, receive and experience pleasure, all while finding deeper connection with themselves and shedding shame and inhibitions in the process. Amy Abrahams, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2024 And there's a lot more self-stigma and shame associated with male victims. Natalie Morales, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024 Avoid shame and blame, as that elicits defensiveness. Julie Kratz, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 And even if there isn’t shame around weight behind it, orthorexia and the steps a person takes to adhere to certain food rules can be expensive, distracting and distressing, Gaudiani said. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 There would be no shame in needing a night off in a league in which superstars in recent years frequently manage their load. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 And while the wall in South Miami, once was a wall of shame, today it is known as the Wall of Unity. Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024 With its spacious, cheery dining room, friendly staff and a fun bar (even in the daytime), the fact that this downtown taqueria escapes me sometimes is a low-down dirty shame. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
According to Lucie Greene, a trend forecaster for Light Years, much of our gawking is driven by a primal impulse to search nepo baby faces for recognizable genetic similarities and contrasts with their famous parents, and to praise or shame them accordingly. Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 And Internet sleuths had once again set to work going through cast and crew Instagrams, in search of evidence that could shame either party. Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 Because Knowles-Carter was raised in a household where young girls were told to tell the truth and shame the devil. TIME, 14 Feb. 2024 Journalistic defenders can be trusted to attack and shame anyone who mistrusts the official story. Rich Lowry, National Review, 13 Feb. 2024 But whether African women are praised for their curves or shamed for them, this ultimately boils their societal worth down to what their bodies look like. Annie Blay, Allure, 22 Feb. 2024 Today’s events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Some commended Pietsch, who did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, for sharing her experience and shamed the company for its impersonal approach to layoffs. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024 Accessing these treatments is vital, but patients won't always seek them if they're shamed by their doctors, some advocates say. Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shame.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Old English scamu; akin to Old High German scama shame

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near shame

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

shame

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a painful emotion caused by having done something wrong or improper
b
: ability to feel shame
have you no shame?
2
3
: something that brings disgrace or causes shame or strong regret
4
: something to be regretted : pity
it's a shame you'll miss the show

shame

2 of 2 verb
shamed; shaming
1
: to bring shame to : disgrace
2
: to cause to feel shame
3
: to force by causing to feel guilty
they were shamed into confessing

More from Merriam-Webster on shame

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