shame
shame — noun
1. a situation, event, or fact that makes you feel sad or disappointed because it i
a situation, event, or fact that makes you feel sad or disappointed because it is not as good as it should be or could have been
It's a real shame that Feng could not come to the party tonight.
a shame + that-clause
What a shame that the old library was closed down last year.
What a shame
It would be a shame to waste all this delicious food that Sana prepared.
a shame + to-infinitive
Sivan missed the last train home. "What a shame!" her roommate said when she heard the news.
standalone "What a shame!" — exclamation without a following clause
- a real shame
- a great shame
- a crying shame
- such a shame
- pity
softer, less intense than 'a shame'; very common in everyday conversation
- disappointment
focuses on the let-down feeling rather than the unfortunate circumstance itself
Grammar Patterns
it's a shame + that-clause
what a shame
a shame + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Unlike other senses of shame, this sense is always used with the indefinite article 'a': it's a shame / what a shame.
Common Mistakes
2. the painful emotion that arises inside you after doing something wrong, embarras
the painful emotion that arises inside you after doing something wrong, embarrassing, or inappropriate
Tariq felt a deep sense of shame after lying to his mother about the missing money.
sense of shame
Renata hung her head in shame when the teacher announced that she had cheated on the test.
in shame — describes how someone physically shows shame
The celebrity seemed to have no shame at all when the embarrassing photos appeared online.
have/feel no shame
Christopher blushed with shame when he realised he had accidentally sent the message to the wrong person.
- deep shame
- burning shame
- sense of shame
- flush with shame
- cry with shame
- guilt
focuses on wrongdoing itself rather than the social embarrassment aspect of shame
- embarrassment
lighter in intensity; about awkwardness rather than moral failure
- remorse
stronger, more formal; focuses on regret for harming someone
Grammar Patterns
feel shame
sense of shame
with shame
in shame
no shame
Usage Note
Commonly follows prepositions 'with', 'in', or 'out of' (e.g., 'with shame', 'out of shame'). 'Shame' in this sense is uncountable and never takes 'a'.
Common Mistakes
3. the condition of losing the good opinion that others had of you because of somet
the condition of losing the good opinion that others had of you because of something wrong or unacceptable that you did, or because of something done by someone connected to you
The corruption scandal brought shame on the entire government department.
bring shame on [group/people]
Gabriel chose to resign quietly rather than face the shame of being publicly dismissed from his job.
There is no shame in asking for help when you are struggling with your mental health.
there is no shame in + gerund
The family felt the shame of their son's criminal actions for many years afterwards.
- bring shame on
- bring shame upon
- shame and disgrace
- eternal shame
Grammar Patterns
bring shame on/upon + noun
shame + of + gerund
no shame in + gerund
Usage Note
Distinguish from Sense 2: Sense 2 describes an internal emotion (feeling ashamed), while Sense 3 describes a social condition (being disgraced in the eyes of others). 'Bring shame on' is a fixed collocation that belongs to this sense.
Common Mistakes
4. used in the phrase 'put someone to shame', meaning to cause a person to experien
used in the phrase 'put someone to shame', meaning to cause a person to experience embarrassment or discomfort by showing that their behaviour is wrong or that your own standard is higher than theirs
Anong's kindness put her colleagues who never volunteered to shame.
put [person] to shame — showing a higher standard
The documentary put the government's lack of action on climate change to shame.
The little boy's honest answer put the adults who had been making up excuses to shame.
Seeing how hard Kwame trained put my own lazy habits to shame.
- put to shame
Grammar Patterns
put [someone/something] to shame
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in the fixed expression 'put to shame'. The verb 'put' changes form with the subject (puts/put/will put etc.), but 'to shame' remains fixed.
5. used in the expression 'shame to say' or 'ashamed to admit', when you feel embar
used in the expression 'shame to say' or 'ashamed to admit', when you feel embarrassed about admitting something, especially a personal weakness or failure
I shame to say that I still have not read a single book by our country's most famous author.
shame to say + that-clause
Lan is ashamed to admit that she was responsible for the mistake that cost the company the contract.
ashamed to admit + that-clause
To my shame, I forgot to send my grandmother a birthday card last week.
to one's shame — fixed phrase
I am ashamed to admit that I still get nervous before giving a short speech.
- shame to say
- ashamed to admit
- ashamed to confess
- to my shame
Grammar Patterns
be ashamed to say/admit/confess
shame to say
Usage Note
The expression 'shame to say' (without a verb) is slightly old-fashioned or formal. The more common modern pattern is 'ashamed to say/admit'. This sense is always in the first or second person.
6. used when speaking firmly to someone to say that their action was wrong and they
used when speaking firmly to someone to say that their action was wrong and they ought to regret it, showing that you strongly disapprove of what they did
Shame on you for making fun of a classmate who was trying his best.
shame on you for + gerund
Shame on the company for refusing to pay its workers a fair wage.
shame on [someone] — extending to non-personal subjects
Mira's grandmother told her, "Shame on you!" when she realised Mira had taken money from her purse without asking.
direct quote: "Shame on you!" addressed to an individual
Shame on those who spread lies about their colleagues during the election campaign.
- shame on you
- shame on us
- shame on them
Grammar Patterns
shame on + pronoun/noun
Usage Note
This expression is quite strong and direct. It is used when the speaker feels morally superior or disappointed. It can be addressed to a specific person ('Shame on you') or a group/institution ('Shame on the council').
7. used in the phrase 'put something to shame', meaning to be so much better or mor
used in the phrase 'put something to shame', meaning to be so much better or more impressive that the other thing seems bad or low-quality by comparison
The quality of the food at the small street stall put the expensive restaurant's dishes to shame.
put [something] to shame — comparison of quality
Élise's garden, with its beautiful flowers and careful design, put all the neighbours' gardens to shame.
The young painter's first exhibition put the work of several famous artists to shame.
Niran's homemade bread put the supermarket loaves to shame.
- put to shame
Grammar Patterns
put [something/someone] to shame
Usage Note
Distinguish from Sense 4: Sense 4 focuses on making someone feel embarrassment for their behaviour; Sense 7 focuses on one thing being objectively better than another. In Sense 7, the subject is typically a thing (product, performance, achievement), not a person's action.
To be so much better than another person or thing that it makes them look bad.
Maya's painting put all the other entries to shame.
Did Diego's performance really put the professional dancers to shame?
Used to express disapproval of someone's actions and say they should feel ashamed.
Shame on you for lying to your parents about the broken vase.
Shame on him for leaving the team without any warning.
shame — verb
1. to cause someone to experience the painful feeling of having done something wron
to cause someone to experience the painful feeling of having done something wrong, or to damage the good reputation that a person or group had
The player's violent behaviour on the field shamed his entire team and disappointed the fans.
The politician was publicly shamed when news of the secret payments was revealed.
passive: be publicly shamed
Stephanie felt that her brother's rude comments had shamed the whole family at the dinner table.
The dictator's cruelty shamed the nation in front of the whole world.
- shame one's family
- shame one's country
- publicly shamed
- shamed by
- honour
to give respect and public recognition
Grammar Patterns
shame + person
be shamed by + agent
Usage Note
Often used in the passive voice, especially in news contexts ('The CEO was shamed by the leak'). The active voice is more direct and personal ('You have shamed us all').
2. to name a person or organization in public because of their wrongdoing, often on
to name a person or organization in public because of their wrongdoing, often on social media, as a way of making others aware and pushing them to change
The campaign website names and shames companies that pay their employees unfairly.
name and shame — a fixed phrase for public criticism
Kian was publicly shamed online after an old insensitive post from his social media account was shared widely.
Some activists shame people who do not recycle by posting photos of their rubbish on social media.
shame + person + for + gerund/noun phrase
The newspaper shamed the local restaurant for using dirty cooking oil.
- name and shame
- publicly shamed
- shame someone for
- online shaming
- shame into action
Grammar Patterns
name and shame
shame + person + for + gerund
Usage Note
This sense has become very common with the rise of social media, often referred to as 'public shaming'. 'Name and shame' is a fixed expression used by authorities and campaign groups. This sense is not about the internal feeling of guilt but about the act of exposing wrongdoing publicly.
3. to make someone feel so uncomfortable about their current way of behaving that t
to make someone feel so uncomfortable about their current way of behaving that they decide to change what they are doing or take a different course of action
The newspaper article shamed the local council into fixing the broken playground equipment.
shame [someone] into [doing something]
Kwame's teammates shamed him out of quitting by reminding him the team needed him.
shame [someone] out of [doing something]
The teacher shamed the students into finishing their homework by praising a harder-working class.
Photos of sick animals shamed Madison into donating money to the wildlife shelter.
- shame into
- shame out of
- shame into doing
- shame into action
Grammar Patterns
shame + person + into + gerund
shame + person + out of + gerund
Usage Note
Always followed by 'into' or 'out of' + gerund. The pattern 'shame someone into doing something' is much more common than 'shame someone out of doing something'. The subject is often an event, article, or social pressure rather than a person acting deliberately.
Common Mistakes
4. to clearly outperform another person or thing in skill, quality, or achievement,
to clearly outperform another person or thing in skill, quality, or achievement, making them seem far less impressive by comparison
The student's first novel shamed the work of many professional writers who had been publishing for years.
Sora's performance at the competition shamed all the other dancers with its energy and creativity.
shame + person + with + noun — showing the basis of comparison
The small local bakery's bread shamed the mass-produced loaves from the big supermarket.
Talia's cooking skills shamed everyone else's attempts at making traditional dishes.
- shame by comparison
- shame with
Grammar Patterns
shame + noun + by + gerund
shame + noun
Usage Note
This sense is less common in everyday speech. It overlaps with the noun phrase 'put to shame' (noun Sense 7) but uses the verb directly. The comparison is always one-sided: the subject is clearly superior.
shame — exclamation
1. a word shouted in a meeting, parliament, or public event to show that you strong
a word shouted in a meeting, parliament, or public event to show that you strongly disagree with or disapprove of what a speaker is saying
When the minister defended the new tax, several members of the audience called out 'Shame!' from the gallery.
interjection: shouted in a public meeting
A cry of 'Shame!' rose from the crowd when the politician avoided the question about public spending.
When the chairman made a joke about the budget cuts, several councillors shouted 'Shame!' in protest.
Members of the audience cried 'Shame!' as the CEO defended the factory closures during the meeting.
- cry of 'Shame!'
- shout 'Shame!'
Usage Note
This use is primarily British and somewhat old-fashioned. In modern contexts, people are more likely to boo or heckle than to shout 'Shame!'. It is used by an audience to express collective disapproval, not by one person in private conversation.
Word family
- ashamedadjectiveB1
- shamefuladjectiveB2
- shamelessadjectiveC1
- shamefullyadverbC1
- shamelesslyadverbC1
- shamefacedadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
These four words all relate to uncomfortable feelings about one's actions, but they differ in focus and intensity. 'Guilt' is about the awareness of having done something wrong — it is a judgment about the action itself ('She felt guilt for lying'). 'Embarrassment' is lighter and more social; it is the awkward feeling of being seen doing something foolish rather than morally wrong. 'Remorse' is deeper and more formal, combining regret with a desire to make amends — it carries the weight of having hurt someone. 'Disgrace' shifts from internal feeling to external reputation — it is the state of having lost others' respect rather than an emotion. For example, a politician caught in a scandal might feel guilt (knowing it was wrong), embarrassment (at being caught), remorse (for the harm caused to their family), and disgrace (at the damage to their public standing). 'Shame' in this sense sits between guilt and embarrassment: it is more intense than embarrassment but focuses on the self rather than the action.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'shame' comes from Old English 'sceamu', which meant a feeling of guilt or disgrace. It is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German 'scama' and Old Norse 'skǫmm'. The basic meaning has stayed very consistent for over a thousand years — the uncomfortable feeling of having done something wrong. The use as a verb ('to shame someone') appeared in the same Old English period. The exclamation 'Shame!' used in public meetings is a more modern development, first recorded in British English in the 19th century.