Word
shameful
Phoneticsshame·ful, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈʃeɪmfəɫ/
UK/ʃˈeɪmfəl/
Definitions
01disgraceful
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. very bad or dishonest in a way that should make someone feel ashamed.
adj. meriting disgrace or strong moral disapproval due to a violation of ethical or social standards.
“The company's treatment of its oldest employees was truly shameful.”
“The investigation revealed a shameful pattern of corruption that had been ignored by the board for over a decade.”
Pitfall
I felt shameful about my mistake.
I felt ashamed of my mistake.
Use 'ashamed' to describe how a person feels. Use 'shameful' to describe the bad action or situation itself.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02shocking or offensive
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. so bad that it is shocking or offends people's sense of what is right.
adj. highly offensive or scandalous in nature; often used to describe public conduct or systemic failures.
“It is shameful that so many people are still living in such poor conditions.”
“The politician's shameful remarks regarding the tragedy drew immediate condemnation from leaders across the globe.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“They were, she said, her attempt to heal her disgust around sex , which she had been brought up to believe was dirty and shameful.” “Photograph: BBC/Cinétévé/24 25 Films Télévisions/Domniki Mitropoulou Summed up in a sentence A tense, powerful thriller about an Afghan family and the shameful events of when the Americans withdrew and the Taliban moved in.” Etymology
From Middle English schameful, schamfull, from Old English *sċeamfull, sċeomfull, equivalent to shame + -ful. Cognate with Danish skamfuld (“shameful, shamefast, ashamed”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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.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
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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