# ashamed

/əˈʃeɪmd/ (US) · /ɐʃˈeɪmd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ashamed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. feeling guilt or embarrassment

adjective · CEFR B1

feeling bad or embarrassed because you have done something wrong or silly.

For teachers: feeling shame or distress arising from a sense of guilt, impropriety, or shortcoming.

- He felt ashamed of his behavior at the party and called to apologize the next day.
- She was deeply ashamed of her failure to speak up when she witnessed the injustice, feeling that her silence made her complicit.

Usage: Usually follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'feel' and takes the preposition 'of'.

### 2. reluctant due to shame

adjective · CEFR B2

unwilling to do something because you are embarrassed or afraid of what people will think.

For teachers: reluctant to act or speak due to a fear of humiliation or loss of face.

- I was ashamed to admit that I had never read such a famous book.
- Many people are ashamed to seek professional help for mental health issues due to the persistent social stigma surrounding the topic.

Usage: Often followed by a 'to' infinitive.

## Examples

- He felt ashamed of his rude behavior at the party.
- She was deeply ashamed that she had forgotten her best friend's wedding anniversary for the third year in a row.
- While some public figures remain defiant after a scandal, others appear genuinely ashamed of the damage their decisions have caused to the community's trust.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.