Word
abashment
Phoneticsabash·ment
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a feeling of being embarrassed or ashamed. You might feel this after making a mistake in front of other people.
n. a state of embarrassment, confusion, or shame. Often used to describe the visible or internal reaction to a social faux pas.
Examples
“He looked away in abashment after his mistake.”
“She felt a wave of abashment when she realized she had been calling her new boss by the wrong name all morning.”
“The speaker's initial abashment at the technical failure quickly vanished as the audience began to cheer in support of his improvised explanation.”
Examples
simple
“He looked away in abashment after his mistake.”
contextual
“She felt a wave of abashment when she realized she had been calling her new boss by the wrong name all morning.”
complex
“The speaker's initial abashment at the technical failure quickly vanished as the audience began to cheer in support of his improvised explanation.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “abashment” in context.
Verb
01. hide his abashment
“He looked down at his shoes, trying to hide his abashment after the public reprimand.”
verb + possessive + noun
02. overcome her abashment
“It took her a moment to overcome her abashment and continue the presentation.”
verb + possessive + noun
Adjective
03. slight abashment
“She admitted her mistake with a touch of slight abashment.”
adj + noun
04. visible abashment
“The visible abashment on his face made it clear he hadn't expected to be caught.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. flush of abashment
“A sudden flush of abashment crept up her neck as the audience started laughing.”
noun + of + noun
06. sense of abashment
“A profound sense of abashment washed over him when he realized he had insulted the host.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
07. in abashment
“The young clerk lowered his head in abashment after dropping the expensive vase.”
prep + noun
Usage
Typically functions as an uncountable noun; frequently follows the preposition 'in' to describe a person's reaction.
Etymology
From Middle English abaisshment, from Middle French abaissement (“astonishment”) alteration of esbaissement, from esbaiss + -ment. Compare French ébahissement. Equivalent to abash + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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