Word
shame
US/ˈʃeɪm/
UK/ʃˈeɪm/
Definitions
01feeling of guilt
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a painful feeling of guilt or embarrassment because you have done something wrong or silly.
n. an uncomfortable or painful emotion resulting from the awareness of one's own impropriety, dishonour, or failure to meet social standards.
日本語:恥※
“He felt a deep sense of shame after lying to his best friend.”
“The public apology was intended to alleviate the shame he felt after his professional misconduct was exposed in the national press.”
Synonyms
02a disappointment
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a situation that is disappointing or a pity.
n. a regrettable or unfortunate situation; often used in the construction 'it is a shame that'.
“It is a shame that you cannot come to the party tonight.”
“It is a great shame that the historic theatre was demolished to make way for a modern office block.”
Usage
Commonly used with 'it is a...' or 'what a...'.
Synonyms
03loss of respect
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a loss of respect from other people because of bad behaviour.
n. the state of being dishonoured or disgraced in the eyes of others.
日本語:恥※
“His actions brought shame on his entire family.”
“The scandal brought lasting shame upon the institution, leading to the resignation of several high-ranking board members.”
04to make someone feel bad
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make someone feel ashamed or to criticize them publicly.
v. to cause someone to feel shame or to bring disgrace upon them through public criticism or superior performance.
“The teacher did not want to shame the student in front of the class.”
“The activist group sought to shame the corporation into changing its environmental policies by publishing a list of its violations.”
Usage
Transitive verb taking a direct object.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “shame” in context.
Verb
01. bring shame on the family
“The scandal brought shame on the family and ruined their reputation in the small town.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. feel shame
“He felt a deep sense of shame after lying to his parents about the exam results.”
verb + noun
03. hide your shame
“She looked down at the floor, trying to hide her shame as the teacher scolded her.”
verb + possessive + noun
Adjective
04. a crying shame
“It is a crying shame that the historic library was demolished to make room for a parking lot.”
adj + noun
05. burning shame
“He blushed with burning shame when he realized everyone had heard his private conversation.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. sense of shame
“The thief seemed to have no sense of shame and laughed while being led away by the police.”
noun + of + noun
07. shame that he failed
“It was a great shame that he failed the final test after studying so hard all semester.”
noun + that-clause
Preposition
08. blush with shame
“The young boy began to blush with shame when his mother pointed out his mistake in front of his friends.”
verb + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“It’s a shame that … some testers experienced skin issues while using this lotion.” “Shame says, There is something wrong with me.” Etymology
From Middle English schame, from Old English sċamu, from Proto-Germanic *skamō. Cognates *German Scham (“shame”) *German Low German Schaam (“shame, shamefacedness”) *Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish skam (“shame”) *Faroese skomm (“shame, dishonour”) *Icelandic skömm (“shame”) *Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌼𐌰 (skama, “shame”).
From Middle English schamen, from Old English sċamian, from Proto-West Germanic skamēn, from Proto-Germanic skamāną. Cognates *Dutch schamen (“to be ashamed”) *German schämen (“to be ashamed or embarrassed, bashful”) *Danish, Norwegian Bokmål skamme (“to be ashamed”) *Icelandic skamma (“to scold”) *Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌽 (skaman, “to be ashamed”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. crying shame
02. name and shame
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/shame
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0