ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shameful

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈʃeɪmfəɫ// UK //ʃˈeɪmfəl// shame·ful

adj. describing something that is very bad or wrong and makes you feel guilty or embarrassed. It is often used to talk about behavior that people should be sorry for.

adj. deserving of or causing a feeling of guilt, regret, or disgrace. Often used to describe actions that violate moral or social standards.


SIMPLE

It is shameful to treat animals so poorly.

CONTEXTUAL

The company's decision to ignore safety warnings was a shameful act of negligence that put many lives at risk.

COMPLEX

Historians often reflect on the shameful treatment of minority groups during that era, noting how systemic prejudice was codified into the very laws meant to protect the citizenry.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English schameful, schamfull, from Old English *sċeamfull, sċeomfull, equivalent to shame + -ful. Cognate with Danish skamfuld (“shameful, shamefast, ashamed”).

Usage

Often used in the construction 'it is shameful to [verb]' or 'it is shameful that [clause]'.

Pitfall

I am shameful of my mistakeI am ashamed of my mistakeLearners often confuse 'shameful' (describing the bad action) with 'ashamed' (describing the person's feeling of guilt).

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