ashamed
/əˈʃeɪmd
/adjective [predicative]
1Embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations: you should be ashamed of yourself his clothes and manners made me ashamed of him [with clause]: she felt ashamed that she had hit him...
- I felt so ashamed and so guilty, and I almost just wanted to die because of what I had done to my kids.
- So the children feel guilty and ashamed and, as it's their fault, they don't tell anyone.
- On one side, he felt guilty and ashamed, and on the other he just felt angry that it hadn't worked.
Synonyms
sorry, shamefaced, abashed, sheepish, guilty, conscience-stricken, guilt-ridden, contrite, remorseful, repentant, penitent, hangdog, regretful, rueful, apologetic;
embarrassed, mortified, red-faced, chagrined, humiliated, uncomfortable, discomfited, distressed;
in sackcloth and ashes
informal with one's tail between one's legs
rare compunctious
(be ashamed of) blush to think of
1.1 [with infinitive] Reluctant to do something through fear of embarrassment or humiliation: I’m ashamed to say I followed him home I am not ashamed to be seen with them...
- There are too many Christians, who are afraid and ashamed to tell others about His love, grace and mercy.
- People seem ashamed to voice their religious views for fear of being laughed at.
- Everyone whose eye I met turned away, as though afraid or ashamed to look at me.
Synonyms
reluctant, loath, unwilling, disinclined, hesitant, indisposed, slow, afraid;
averse
Derivatives
ashamedly
/ adverb ...- However, my attention was diverted from the pages of the book as I found myself ashamedly eavesdropping on people who were unaware that the walls had ears listening to their passive conversation.
- ‘Wow, this kinda feels like a refugee camp,’ I thought to myself, ashamedly.
- Slinking a little ashamedly up to the receptionist's desk, I informed her that I was working here for the day.
Origin
Old English āscamod, past participle of āscamian 'feel shame', from ā- (as an intensifier) + the verb shame.