shame1 nounshame2 verb
shameshame1 /ʃeɪm/ ●●● S2 noun 
WORD ORIGINshame1
Origin:
Old English scamuEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Please don't tell my dad about this," he said, blushing with shame.
- As he left the house, Mungo felt a pang of shame at telling Alice a lie.
- Following the scandal, Garrison resigned in shame.
- She never overcame the shame of having abandoned her children.
- She remembered her angry words with a deep sense of shame.
- Some girls feel that refusing their parents' choice of husband will bring shame on their family.
- The next day I remembered how drunk I'd been , and almost died of shame.
- Too many women are taught to feel guilt or shame about sex.
- Voting through cuts in benefits to the poorest people is a matter of shame for all of us.
- But the threat was also psychological: what fired their hatred, in some cases, was their sense of shame.
- He was in the House at the time, so he should hang his head in shame.
- It's a shame we can't vote for it.
- It's a shame, son.
- Most of all, there is caustic shame for my own stupidity.
- That is why few people never swear, and it would be a shame if more were to join them.
- What a shame Gerry Britton collected the only booking for celebrating Jamieson's goal over-zealously.
THESAURUS
the feeling you have when you feel guilty and embarrassed because you, or someone who is close to you, have done something wrong: · She never overcame the shame of having abandoned her children.· He remembered his angry words with a deep sense of shame.· Following the scandal, Garrison resigned in shame.
a feeling of shame and embarrassment because you have been made to look weak or stupid in front of other people: · What really upset me was the humiliation of having to ask her for money.· He suffered the humiliation of defeat in the first round of the competition.
British English, dishonor American English formal the loss of other people’s respect because you have done something bad, or you have been unsuccessful: · His comments have brought shame and dishonour on him and his profession.· There is no dishonour in failure when you have done everything you possibly can to succeed.
the feeling that other people in society disapprove of you because of something that has happened to you, or because you feel different from most other people in some way – used especially when this seems unfair and unreasonable: · Even when someone has been found innocent of a crime, the stigma often remains.· At first I found the stigma of being unemployed very difficult to cope with.· In many countries there is still a strong social stigma attached to homosexuality.
great shame a complete loss of people’s respect because you have done something very bad and shocking: · His actions brought disgrace on the family.· The players were sent home in disgrace after admitting taking drugs.· Garton killed himself because he could not bear the disgrace of being charged with corruption.
formal a feeling of great shame and embarrassment because you have been made to look weak or stupid – a very formal use: · The team suffered the ignominy of losing five games in a row.· She hoped to avoid the ignominy of having to appear in court.
Longman Language Activatorthe feeling of being ashamed the feeling that you have when you know that you have behaved badly or that you have lost other people's respect: · She remembered her angry words with a deep sense of shame.· "Please don't tell my dad about this," he said, blushing with shame.shame of: · She never overcame the shame of having abandoned her children.in shame: · Following the scandal, Garrison resigned in shame.
when you have completely lost other people's respect because of something bad you have done: · While the father was in jail, the whole family suffered his disgrace.disgrace of: · Garton killed himself because he could not bear the disgrace of a public scandal.in disgrace: · Browne was caught using drugs, and was sent home from the private school in disgrace.
a situation in which you are made to look weak or stupid that makes you ashamed and upset: · Her attackers seemed to take special pleasure in her humiliation.humiliation of: · What really upset me was the humiliation of having to ask her for money.public humiliation: · The Senator's public humiliation is almost punishment enough for what he did.
a situation in which you feel that you have no pride or self-respect, because people treat you as if you were completely unimportant: · He suffered insult and indignity in silence.· Being accused of theft was just one of the indignities I suffered under my last employer.indignity of: · I had to endure the indignity of being strip-searched for drugs.
to lose other people's respect for you, especially by doing something that makes you look weak, immoral, or stupid: · The leaders need to find a way of compromising without losing face among their supporters.· Rather than giving in and losing face, she carried on her needless quarrel with her father.
a strong feeling of being hated by society and being ashamed because of your situation or your actions: · Even when someone has been found innocent of a crime, the stigma often remains.stigma of: · At first I found the stigma of being unemployed very difficult to cope with.a stigma attached to something: · In many countries there is still a strong social stigma attached to homosexuality.
to make someone feel ashamed · At first the neighbor's generosity made her feel ashamed.· What I saw in the schools made me ashamed of my views - it was clear to me that most students really want to learn.
to make someone feel ashamed: · People with leprosy were shamed and driven out of their communities.shame somebody into (doing) something: · Many people have been shamed into silence when it comes to discussing their sex lives.it shames somebody to do something: · It shamed her to realize how long she had been involved with Claude.
to make someone feel very ashamed and upset, especially by making them look weak or stupid: · Why do you always have to humiliate me in front of your friends?· The invading army took every opportunity to humiliate the local peasants.
if you disgrace yourself or disgrace your family, your school etc, you behave very badly so that other people lose respect for you or for your family or school: · She didn't tell anyone that she was pregnant for fear of disgracing her family.· My grandmother thought I was disgracing myself, following Tim around like a love-sick puppy.
to make people lose respect for yourself, your family, country etc because you have behaved badly: · The MP was accused of bringing shame and humiliation on the whole party.· The shooting of an innocent man has brought shame on the entire police department.
causing a complete loss of self-respect, especially because you have been made to look weak or stupid: · I had to apologize in front of everyone - it was so humiliating.· Prisoners are subjected to humiliating treatment and frequent beatings.· Anderson suffered a humiliating defeat in the last election.
a situation or way of treating someone that is degrading makes them lose all their self-respect and makes them feel that they are completely worthless: · These poor people live in the most degrading conditions.degrading to: · Many of the remarks were degrading to women and minorities.
ashamed someone who is ashamed feels very sorry about something they have done or embarrassed by something relating to them, so that they think people may no longer respect them: · I didn't want anyone to know I'd been fired because I felt ashamed.ashamed of: · She was so ashamed of cheating on the test that she went and told the teacher.· For a long time I was ashamed of my father and the fact he never finished school.ashamed about: · There's nothing to be ashamed about - lots of people have money problems.ashamed (that): · I realize now that you were telling the truth, and I'm ashamed that I didn't believe you.ashamed to do something: · She really needed me but - I'm ashamed to admit it - I didn't help her.ashamed of yourself: · You ought to be ashamed of yourself - coming home drunk like that!bitterly/deeply ashamed: · The knowledge that I had caused him to lose his job made me bitterly ashamed.
feeling very ashamed and upset, especially because you have been made to look weak or stupid and you think that no one will respect you: · Ross yelled at me in front of the whole office - I've never been so humiliated in my life!· Many women who have been assaulted feel too frightened and humiliated to report their ordeal.
to be so ashamed about something you have done to someone that you find it difficult to be with them or talk to them: · I'm so embarrassed - I'll never be able to look her in the face again.· After the layoffs were announced, I couldn't look any of the people on the shop floor in the face.
showing in the expression on your face that you are ashamed about something and you know you have behaved badly: · He came to my office, shamefaced, to apologize.· A shamefaced spokesperson admitted that mistakes had been made.
to look ashamed: · He bowed his head in shame as the details of his arrest were read out in court.
spoken use this to tell someone that they should feel shame because of something they have done: · Shame on you for lying to your grandmother!
very much better than someone or something informal to be clearly doing very much better at something than someone else: · Winger's stands head and shoulders above every other restaurant in town.· Kander and Ebb are head and shoulders above the others writing for the musical theater these days.
spoken use this to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · "Which apartment do you prefer?'' "Well, there's no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.''
British to be so much better than others that their achievements are made to seem ordinary: · Coca Cola's prize-winning advertising campaign has put all others in the shade.· The generous response of the public to the disaster puts the government's contribution somewhat in the shade.
written to be so much better than someone or something else that they are made to seem unimportant and not worth paying any attention to: · Channel 5's tremendous line-up of TV programmes has eclipsed its competitors' best efforts.· Eclipsed by the US champion at last year's Olympic Games, Schofield has decided to retire.
if someone is in a different league , they are so much better and more skilful than someone who does similar work that it would be stupid even to compare them: · You can't possibly compare Thomas Hardy and Wilkie Collins - Hardy is in a different league.
to be so much better than someone else that they feel slightly embarrassed by their own lack of skill or quality: · The elegant way she was dressed put the rest of us to shame.· Acapulco is a cosmopolitan city with a nightlife that puts Rio to shame.
informal to perform with much greater skill than someone else in a competitive activity such as a sport or an argument: run rings around somebody: · It's no use arguing with Sophie -- she can run rings around anyone who disagrees with her.· Tottenham Hotspur are running rings around Arsenal in the most exciting cup final in years.
British informal to be very much better than something of the same type or than someone you are competing with: be streets ahead of: · The script is original and funny, streets ahead of any other situation comedy.· We don't need to worry about this year's sales figures -- they're streets ahead of the competition.
British to be so much better at something than other people that they cannot possibly compete successfully with you: · It seems that in this campaign the Labour candidate has left the opposition standing.· Julie's an excellent typist -- her speed and accuracy leave the rest of us standing.
a guilty feeling the feeling you have when you have done something that you know is wrong: · Guilt can be a very destructive emotion.feeling of guilt: · People often have feelings of guilt after a divorce.
the guilty feeling that you have when you know that you have behaved badly and lost people's respect: · Voting through cuts in benefits to the poorest people is a matter of shame for all of us.shame about: · Too many women are taught to feel guilt or shame about sex.shame at: · As he left the house, Mungo felt a pang of shame at telling Alice a lie.almost die of shame (=be very ashamed): · The next day I remembered how drunk I'd been , and almost died of shame.bring shame on somebody: · Some girls feel that refusing their parents' choice of husband will bring shame on their family.
a feeling of being very sorry for something bad that you have done, so that you wish you had not done it: · He admitted killing the man but showed no sign of remorse.remorse for: · She was full of remorse for hurting her family.remorse at: · Many men are afflicted with guilt and remorse at leaving their wives.twinge/pang of remorse (=a small feeling of remorse): · The woman sounded so nice, McKee felt a twinge of remorse at what he had done to her family.
a set of feelings that stop you from doing something wrong or that make you feel guilty when you have done something wrong: · Her murderer was a psychopath with a total lack of conscience.twinge/pang of conscience (=a sudden feeling of guilt): · He was capable of making the most ruthless decisions with no apparent pangs of conscience.
when you wish that something had not happened or was not true use this to show that you wish something had not happened, or you wish something was not true: · There's nothing I can do about it, unfortunately.· Unfortunately, Dr Cole cannot spend as long with each patient as she would like.· We took some fantastic photos, but unfortunately the film got damaged.
unfortunately - use this to talk about events or situations that are very sad: · Sadly, this fine old theatre was destroyed by fire in 1993.· Alice was rushed to hospital, but sadly she died two hours later.
spoken say this to show that you feel disappointed or sad about something that has happened: · It's a pity about the weather - it was so nice yesterday.it's a pity/shame (that): · It's a shame you can't come with us.what a pity/shame! (=say this to show that you feel sad or sympathetic about something): · "Janet didn't get that job." "Oh, what a pity!"a real/terrible shame: · They've cut down all those beautiful trees. It's a terrible shame.
spoken use this to show that you feel upset about something sad that has happened, and you wish the situation was different: it's sad (that): · It's so sad that your father can't be here to see this.it's sad when: · It's sad when a marriage breaks up, especially after all those years.it's very/terribly sad: · The town centre is dying, and most of the shops have closed down. It's terribly sad.
especially American use this to say you are disappointed or sad that someone could not do something, or something could not happen: · "Senator Volk's out of town." "Too bad! I wanted to meet him and talk about the campaign."too bad (that): · Too bad Dickie isn't here to enjoy the fun.· It's too bad you have to leave, just when we need you most.
spoken say this when something causes disappointment, suffering or is inconvenient etc: · The wedding was lovely. It was just unfortunate about the rain. it's unfortunate (that): · It's unfortunate that you have to travel so far to work.
British spoken say this when you wish that the fact that you have just mentioned was not true: · Now I'm too old to fall in love, more's the pity.· I'm afraid this car doesn't belong to me, more's the pity.
formal use this when you consider the existing situation to be unsatisfactory: · Regrettably Jousse's work has not been translated into English.· The poor and disadvantaged will, regrettably, be the ones to suffer as a result of the new law.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
It’s a shame that you have to leave so soon. What a shame we missed the wedding. It's a shame about the weather. I can’t imagine why they canceled your show, Tracy. That’s such a shame. It was a crying shame that they lost the game. To her shame (=it made her feel ashamed), she gained back all the weight she’d lost. He’s brought shame on the whole family. There’s no shame in (=it should not make you feel ashamed) saying ‘I don’t know.’ How could you do such a thing? Have you no shame?COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Daphne had hung her head in shame.
It’s a shame that you have to leave so soon. What a shame we missed the wedding. It's a shame about the weather. I can’t imagine why they canceled your show, Tracy. That’s such a shame. It was a crying shame that they lost the game. To her shame (=it made her feel ashamed), she gained back all the weight she’d lost. He’s brought shame on the whole family. (=look down, or feel like you should look down, because you feel so ashamed) I bow my head in shame when I think of how I treated her.
I bow my head in shame when I think of how I treated her. There’s no shame in (=it should not make you feel ashamed) saying ‘I don’t know.’ How could you do such a thing? Have you no shame? Daphne had hung her head in shame. British English (=say publicly who is responsible for something illegal that has happened, or who has not achieved a particular standard)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Dot had heard Mrs Parvis say that it was a crying shame, a young fit man like that.· In the context of the world today, it seems a crying shame.· It's a crying shame to cover up your body.· It was a crying shame to see those grounds neglected.
· Her first thoughts were that it was a great shame to turn such a wonderful building into a restaurant and hotel.· It would be a great shame if young people such as Hu were discouraged from seeking careers in public service.· It would be a great shame if the charity folded, after all the efforts of so many kind-hearted people.· That was a great shame, because it left us blind to a prize within our reach.· It is a great shame that the social chapter has been excised from the treaty.· I am overwhelmed by this yet greater shame.· This is a great shame because scientists are notoriously bad at communicating the importance of what they study to non-scientists.· For John Langford, it would have been the greatest shame imaginable.
· A real shame, as the slickly presented management section offers plenty of options.· He signed a petition you know against Mitterrand and Vichy. Real shame our movie never got past first base.
· What a terrible shame if their relationship doesn't survive this rocky patch.
VERB· I bow my head in shame when I think of the countries we've looted and the people we've subjugated.· The principal merely bowed his head in shame.
· Having a baby would mean leaving university and bringing shame on my family.· This act brings shame to all our lives.· Mitigating, Howe's solicitor said he had suffered domestic problems and the incident had brought shame on his family.· All he had done was scream abuse at her, accusing her of bringing shame and disgrace on the family.· Unlike its plainer cousin, it will not bring shame to the wearer by wilting or drooping on the crucial day.· Their lawyer said they'd brought shame on the whole hunting world.· The girl Agnes left her home in secret, so that her pregnancy would not bring shame on her family.
· She flung herself into her room and began to pack frantically, wanting to cry with rage and shame.
· She would have thought a woman would have died of shame.· She had thought that she was going to die of shame.· How could she remain here, see him again, and not die of shame at the memory?· If Amanda Pennington ever heard about this he would die of shame.· He ought by rights to have died of shame at 30, or of drink at 50.
· The ones who created this crisis should feel shame.· As his panic begins to subside, he is left with a feeling of shame.· Suddenly she felt quite overcome with shame to think that Kirsty's illness might be all her fault.· It appeared she was talking him blue in the face, but Glover had felt a kind of shame about everything.· I feel neither shame or embarrassment at my feelings, not do I think they should be ignored.· I feel a lot of shame.· She did not feel shame, or any sense of partaking in the very view of life that was nearly extinguishing him.· I feel no sense of shame.
· He was in the House at the time, so he should hang his head in shame.· Father Time wouldn't have been alone in hanging his head in shame.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► it’s a shame/what a shame etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► die of embarrassment/shame
- And if you haven't heard of Gus then shame on you!
- Fool me once, shame on you, the saying goes.
- If you fail to negotiate, shame on you.
- Acapulco is a cosmopolitan city with a nightlife that puts Rio to shame.
- Matt's gourmet dinner really put my cooking to shame.
- The elegant way she was dressed put the rest of us to shame.
- He interviewed many of them, recording every detail with a care that put sighted journalists to shame.
- He puts us all to shame.
- He was immediately given some money which he took with the kind of abundant gratitude that puts the giver to shame.
- The cruel truth is that some animals put some humans to shame.
- They put the Instamatic to shame.
- They scarcely left it for the next two weeks, their passion putting her dreams to shame.
- It would be a crying shame if high ticket prices kept people away from baseball games.
- It's a crying shame to cover up your body.
- Nice lips, shame about the teeth.
- Nice smile, shame about the lies, the splits and the job losses.
WORD FAMILYnounshameshamefulnessshamelessnessadjectiveashamed ≠ unashamedshamefulshamelessverbshameadverbshamefully ≠ shamelessly
1it’s a shame/what a shame etc spoken used when you wish a situation was different, and you feel sad or disappointed: ‘She’s failed her test again.’ ‘What a shame!’ It’s a shame that you have to leave so soon. What a shame we missed the wedding. It's a shame about the weather.it is a shame to do something It’s a shame to cover this beautiful table with a tablecloth. I can’t imagine why they canceled your show, Tracy. That’s such a shame.a crying/great/terrible shame It was a crying shame that they lost the game.RegisterIn written English, people usually say something is unfortunate rather than a shame:· It’s unfortunate that these warnings were not taken seriously.2[uncountable] the feeling you have when you feel guilty and embarrassed because you, or someone who is close to you, have done something wrong: He felt a deep sense of shame. Maria blushed with shame. To her shame (=it made her feel ashamed), she gained back all the weight she’d lost. He’s brought shame on the whole family.hang/bow your head in shame (=look down, or feel like you should look down, because you feel so ashamed) I bow my head in shame when I think of how I treated her. There’s no shame in (=it should not make you feel ashamed) saying ‘I don’t know.’3[uncountable] the ability to feel shame: How could you do such a thing? Have you no shame?4shame on you/him/them etc spoken used to say that someone should feel guilty or embarrassed because of something they have done: Shame on you, Fred. I thought you were my friend!5put somebody/something to shame to be so much better than someone or something else that it makes the other thing seem very bad or ordinary: His cooking puts mine to shame.THESAURUSshame the feeling you have when you feel guilty and embarrassed because you, or someone who is close to you, have done something wrong: · She never overcame the shame of having abandoned her children.· He remembered his angry words with a deep sense of shame.· Following the scandal, Garrison resigned in shame.humiliation a feeling of shame and embarrassment because you have been made to look weak or stupid in front of other people: · What really upset me was the humiliation of having to ask her for money.· He suffered the humiliation of defeat in the first round of the competition.dishonour British English, dishonor American English formal the loss of other people’s respect because you have done something bad, or you have been unsuccessful: · His comments have brought shame and dishonour on him and his profession.· There is no dishonour in failure when you have done everything you possibly can to succeed.stigma the feeling that other people in society disapprove of you because of something that has happened to you, or because you feel different from most other people in some way – used especially when this seems unfair and unreasonable: · Even when someone has been found innocent of a crime, the stigma often remains.· At first I found the stigma of being unemployed very difficult to cope with.· In many countries there is still a strong social stigma attached to homosexuality.great shamedisgrace a complete loss of people’s respect because you have done something very bad and shocking: · His actions brought disgrace on the family.· The players were sent home in disgrace after admitting taking drugs.· Garton killed himself because he could not bear the disgrace of being charged with corruption.ignominy formal a feeling of great shame and embarrassment because you have been made to look weak or stupid – a very formal use: · The team suffered the ignominy of losing five games in a row.· She hoped to avoid the ignominy of having to appear in court.shame1 nounshame2 verb
shameshame2 verb [transitive] VERB TABLE
shame
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | shame |
| he, she, it | shames | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | shamed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have shamed |
| he, she, it | has shamed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had shamed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will shame |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have shamed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am shaming |
| he, she, it | is shaming | |
| you, we, they | are shaming | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was shaming |
| you, we, they | were shaming | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been shaming |
| he, she, it | has been shaming | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been shaming |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be shaming |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been shaming |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It shamed him to have to ask Jan for help.
- Because of this, the dogwood felt shamed deeply grieved that it should have been put to such a cruel purpose.
- Erlich remembered his face from the network news, bleak and uncompromising and shamed, when the announcement was made.
- I followed them in, shamed by the fearlessness of people half my height.
- It shamed him and made him shrink inside his overcoat.
- This time she had to fight back or be utterly shamed.
Longman Language Activatorto make someone feel ashamed
· At first the neighbor's generosity made her feel ashamed.· What I saw in the schools made me ashamed of my views - it was clear to me that most students really want to learn.
to make someone feel ashamed: · People with leprosy were shamed and driven out of their communities.shame somebody into (doing) something: · Many people have been shamed into silence when it comes to discussing their sex lives.it shames somebody to do something: · It shamed her to realize how long she had been involved with Claude.
to make someone feel very ashamed and upset, especially by making them look weak or stupid: · Why do you always have to humiliate me in front of your friends?· The invading army took every opportunity to humiliate the local peasants.
if you disgrace yourself or disgrace your family, your school etc, you behave very badly so that other people lose respect for you or for your family or school: · She didn't tell anyone that she was pregnant for fear of disgracing her family.· My grandmother thought I was disgracing myself, following Tim around like a love-sick puppy.
to make people lose respect for yourself, your family, country etc because you have behaved badly: · The MP was accused of bringing shame and humiliation on the whole party.· The shooting of an innocent man has brought shame on the entire police department.
causing a complete loss of self-respect, especially because you have been made to look weak or stupid: · I had to apologize in front of everyone - it was so humiliating.· Prisoners are subjected to humiliating treatment and frequent beatings.· Anderson suffered a humiliating defeat in the last election.
a situation or way of treating someone that is degrading makes them lose all their self-respect and makes them feel that they are completely worthless: · These poor people live in the most degrading conditions.degrading to: · Many of the remarks were degrading to women and minorities.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Daphne had hung her head in shame.
Daphne had hung her head in shame. British English (=say publicly who is responsible for something illegal that has happened, or who has not achieved a particular standard)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB· If a man is tried and found guilty of rape, then he deserves to be named and shamed.· By all means name and shame the convicted.· In this way, the naming and shaming crisis is a continuation of the Tony Martin story.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► die of embarrassment/shame
- His wife shamed him into handing the money back.
- It would be a crying shame if high ticket prices kept people away from baseball games.
- It's a crying shame to cover up your body.
- Nice lips, shame about the teeth.
- Nice smile, shame about the lies, the splits and the job losses.
WORD FAMILYnounshameshamefulnessshamelessnessadjectiveashamed ≠ unashamedshamefulshamelessverbshameadverbshamefully ≠ shamelessly
1to make someone feel ashamed: It shames me to say it, but I lied. He felt shamed and humiliated by the treatment he had received.2shame somebody into doing something to force someone to do something by making them feel ashamed: His wife shamed him into handing the money back.3to be so much better than someone else that you make them seem bad or feel embarrassed: Their training record shamed other companies.4to make someone feel they have lost all honour and respect: She had shamed her family name (=done something that made her family lose honour).