shame

noun
UK: /ʃeɪm/
US: /ʃeɪm/

  1. A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

    1. I felt shame when I lied. [ ] [ ]
    2. There's no shame in admitting you need help to resolve shame. [ ] [ ]

  2. A cause for regret or disappointment.

    1. It's a shame to waste food. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's a crying shame that so many people lack access to clean water. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

dishonor regret disgrace embarrassment mortification
shame verb

  1. To make someone feel ashamed.

    1. Don't shame him for his mistake. [ ] [ ]
    2. The exposé shamed the company into changing its policies around shame. [ ] [ ]

  2. To do something that makes someone or something else seem inadequate by comparison.

    1. Her talent shames us all. [ ] [ ]
    2. The athlete's performance shamed all previous records relating to shame. [ ] [ ]
shame interjection

  1. Used to express disapproval or disappointment.

    1. Shame on you for lying! [ ] [ ]
    2. Shame that you couldn't be honest about feelings related to shame. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shame" in English means: A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior., A cause for regret or disappointment..

The phonetic transcription of "shame" is /ʃeɪm/ in British English and /ʃeɪm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shame": dishonor, regret, disgrace, embarrassment, mortification.

Example usage of "shame": "I felt shame when I lied.". More examples on the page.