ashamed
adj.-
1 feeling guilt or embarrassment (adj.) B1 Intermediatefeeling bad or embarrassed because you have done something wrong or silly.
feeling shame or distress arising from a sense of guilt, impropriety, or shortcoming.
ExampleHe felt ashamed of his behavior at the party and called to apologize the next day.
ExampleShe was deeply ashamed of her failure to speak up when she witnessed the injustice, feeling that her silence made her complicit.
UsageUsually follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'feel' and takes the preposition 'of'.
- proud
- unabashed
PitfallI am ashamed about my mistake.I am ashamed of my mistake.Use the preposition 'of' after ashamed to indicate the cause of the shame.
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2 reluctant due to shame (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediateunwilling to do something because you are embarrassed or afraid of what people will think.
reluctant to act or speak due to a fear of humiliation or loss of face.
ExampleI was ashamed to admit that I had never read such a famous book.
ExampleMany people are ashamed to seek professional help for mental health issues due to the persistent social stigma surrounding the topic.
UsageOften followed by a 'to' infinitive.
From Middle English ashamed, aschamed, from Old English āsċamod, past participle of Old English āsċamian (“to be ashamed”), equivalent to a- + shame + -ed.
- Nounshame
- Adjectiveashamed
- Adjectiveshameful
- Adjectiveshameless
- Adverbshamelessly