shame Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
  2. noun a state of dishonor
    disgrace; ignominy.
    • one mistake brought shame to all his family
    • suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison
  3. noun an unfortunate development
    pity.
    • it's a pity he couldn't do it
  4. verb bring shame or dishonor upon
    disgrace; dishonour; dishonor; attaint.
    • he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime
  5. verb compel through a sense of shame
    • She shamed him into making amends
  6. verb cause to be ashamed
  7. verb surpass or beat by a wide margin

WordNet

Shame noun
Etymology
OE. shame, schame, AS. scamu, sceamu; akin to OS. & OHG. scama, G. scham, Icel. skömm, shkamm, Sw. & Dan. skam, D. & G. schande, Goth. skanda shame, skaman sik to be ashamed; perhaps from a root skam meaning to cover, and akin to the root (kam) of G. hemd shirt, E. chemise. Cf. Sham.
Definitions
  1. A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of having done something which injures reputation, or of the exposure of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal.
    HIde, for shame, Romans, your grandsires' images, That blush at their degenerate progeny. Dryden.
    Have you no modesty, no maiden shame? Shak.
  2. Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonor; ignominy; derision; contempt.
    Ye have borne the shame of the heathen. Ezek. xxxvi. 6.
    Honor and shame from no condition rise. Pope.
    And every woe a tear can claim Except an erring sister's shame. Byron.
  3. The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach, and degrades a person in the estimation of others; disgrace.
    O Csar, what a wounding shame is this! Shak.
    Guides who are the shame of religion. Shak.
  4. The parts which modesty requires to be covered; the private parts. Isa. xlvii. 3. Ps. xl. 14.
Shame transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Shamed ; present participle & verbal noun Shaming
Definitions
  1. To make ashamed; to excite in (a person) a comsciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of conduct derogatory to reputation; to put to shame.
    Were there but one righteous in the world, he would . . . shame the world, and not the world him. South.
  2. To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace.
    And with foul cowardice his carcass shame. Spenser.
  3. To mock at; to deride. Obs. or R.
    Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor. Ps. xiv. 6.
Shame intransitive verb
Etymology
AS. scamian, sceamian. See Shame, n.
Definitions
  1. To be ashamed; to feel shame. R.
    I do shame To think of what a noble strain you are. Shak.

Webster 1913