Definitions for shameʃeɪm
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
shame*ʃeɪm(n.; v.)shamed, sham•ing.
(n.)the painful feeling of having done or experienced something dishonorable, improper, foolish, etc.
capacity to experience this feeling:
to be without shame.
a cause for regret, disappointment, etc.:
It was a shame you weren't there.
(v.t.)to cause to feel shame.
to activate or motivate through shame:
He shamed me into going.
to cause to suffer disgrace.
Idioms for shame:
for shame,(used to induce feelings of guilt in someone.)
put to shame, to cause to suffer shame or disgrace. to outdo; surpass.
* Syn: shame , embarrassment , 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 usu. refers to a less painful feeling, one associated with less serious situations, often of a social nature: embarrassment over breaking a vase at a party.humiliation is a feeling of embarrassment at being humbled in the estimation of others: Being ignored gave him a sense of humiliation.chagrin is humiliation mingled with vexation or anger: She felt chagrin at her failure to do well on the test.
Origin of shame:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE sc(e)amu, c. OS, OHG skama, ON skǫmm; (v.) ME scham(i)en to be ashamed, OE sc(e)amian
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
shame, disgrace, ignominy(noun)
a state of dishonor
"one mistake brought shame to all his family"; "suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison"
an unfortunate development
"it's a pity he couldn't do it"
dishonor, disgrace, dishonour, attaint, shame(verb)
bring shame or dishonor upon
"he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime"
compel through a sense of shame
"She shamed him into making amends"
cause to be ashamed
surpass or beat by a wide margin
Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary
a feeling of guilt and embarrassment
the shame she felt after lying to her parents; The country watched in shame as its government failed to act.
a painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of having done something which injures reputation, or of the exposure of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal
reproach incurred or suffered; dishonor; ignominy; derision; contempt
the cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach, and degrades a person in the estimation of others; disgrace
the parts which modesty requires to be covered; the private parts
to make ashamed; to excite in (a person) a comsciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of conduct derogatory to reputation; to put to shame
to cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace
to mock at; to deride
to be ashamed; to feel shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning "to cover"; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame. Nineteenth century scientist Charles Darwin, in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, described shame affect as consisting of blushing, confusion of mind, downward cast eyes, slack posture, and lowered head, and he noted observations of shame affect in human populations worldwide. He also noted the sense of warmth or heat occurring in intense shame. A "sense of shame" is the consciousness or awareness of shame as a state or condition. Such shame cognition may occur as a result of the experience of shame affect or, more generally, in any situation of embarrassment, dishonor, disgrace, inadequacy, humiliation, or chagrin. A condition or state of shame may also be assigned externally, by others, regardless of one's own experience or awareness. "To shame" generally means to actively assign or communicate a state of shame to another. Behaviors designed to "uncover" or "expose" others are sometimes used for this purpose, as are utterances like "Shame!" or "Shame on you!" Finally, to "have shame" means to maintain a sense of restraint against offending others while to "have no shame" is to behave without such restraint.
(often with at ) an unpleasant feeling caused by awareness of guilt, fault, foolishness or failure
I was full of shame at my rudeness; He felt no shame at his behaviour.
- vergonhaPortuguese (BR)
- die SchamGerman
- vergüenza, penaSpanish
- sram, stidCroatian
- rasa maluIndonesian
- rasa maluMalay
- شرم، پښيماني، سپكوالى، خجالت، پيكه توبPashto
- skam, skamsenhetSwedish
- utanç, mahcubiyetTurkish
- 羞愧Chinese (Trad.)
- sự xấu hổ, sự tủi thẹnVietnamese
- 羞愧Chinese (Simp.)