shamefully

shamefully — adverb

1. in a manner that other people rightly consider unacceptable because it shows poo

1.adverbB2
Definition

in a manner that other people rightly consider unacceptable because it shows poor moral standards, often making the person who does it seem deserving of blame

Example

The government shamefully ignored the scientists' urgent warnings about air pollution.

shamefully ignored + institution subject

Élise's uncle shamefully refused to pay the workers what he had promised them.

Common collocations
  • shamefully treated
  • shamefully neglected
  • shamefully ignored
  • shamefully inadequate
  • shamefully unfair
  • shamefully low
Synonyms
  • disgracefully

    more common in public or institutional contexts; stronger connotation of loss of reputation

  • dishonorably

    more formal; emphasises breaking a code of honour or integrity

  • ignominiously

    formal and literary; adds a sense of public humiliation

Antonyms
  • honorably

    acting with moral integrity and deserving respect

  • admirably

    in a way that earns praise instead of blame

Grammar Patterns

shamefully + verb (treated, ignored, behaved)

shamefully + adjective (inadequate, low, unfair)

Usage Note

Shamefully can modify both actions (verbs like treat, ignore, behave) and qualities (adjectives like inadequate, low, unfair). In the second pattern it means 'to a degree that is morally unacceptable'. It is more common in formal or written English than in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

He shamefully forgot his keys.
He shamefully neglected his elderly parents.
shamefully is for morally significant actions, not everyday absentmindedness.
She was shamefully of her mistake.
She was ashamed of her mistake.
shamefully is an adverb; ashamed is the adjective used after be/feel.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four adverbs describe morally bad behaviour that deserves blame, but they differ in register and connotation. Shamefully is the most general and neutral in register — it simply states that an action brings shame, whether to the doer or to others. Disgracefully adds a public dimension: someone who acts disgracefully loses the respect of the community around them (e.g. 'the team behaved disgracefully after the match'). Dishonorably is more formal and implies a breach of a specific code — a soldier, judge, or public official acts dishonorably when they betray the trust placed in them. Ignominiously is the most literary; it carries the added flavour of public humiliation and is often used of failure or defeat ('the general retreated ignominiously from the battlefield'). For everyday contexts where you want to say an action is morally bad, shamefully or disgracefully are the safest choices.

shamefully ↗disgracefullydishonorablyignominiously

Common collocations

Phrases

  • shamefully + verb (treated, neglected, ignored)
  • shamefully + adjective (inadequate, unfair, low)

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the adverb suffix -ly to the adjective shameful, which itself comes from the noun shame (from Old English sceamu, meaning 'feeling of guilt or disgrace') plus the suffix -ful ('full of'). The word has been used in English since at least the 1500s.