shame · adj — embarrassed and shy, particularly because one is the subject of attention. It carries an Arena rating of 1686, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, shame ranks #300 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #1,741 of 43,042 for Qualifying, #2,121 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #4,102 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words.
shame is pronounced /ˈʃeɪ̯m/.
Why “shame” is a great word
A painful emotion of acute humiliation and distress arising from an awareness that one has acted foolishly or wrongly, compromising one's own standards or those of society. From Middle English schamen, from Old English sċamian ("to be ashamed"), from Proto-West Germanic *skamēn, from Proto-Germanic *skamāną ("to be ashamed"). Unlike guilt, which isolates the internal sting of a specific transgression, or embarrassment, a fleeting blush over a social stumble, shame is the profound, abiding chill of moral exposure. It is the sweat on your palms as the lie is uncovered, the dream where you walk into a room and realize you are naked, and the relentless inner whisper that echoes long after the audience has gone—the self turned against the self, a private verdict delivered in a public court.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English schame, from Old English sċamu, from Proto-West Germanic *skamu, from Proto-Germanic *skamō. Cognates *German Scham (“shame”) *German Low German Schaam (“shame, shamefacedness”) *Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish skam (“shame”) *Faroese skomm (“shame, dishonour”) *Icelandic skömm (“shame”) *Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌼𐌰 (skama, “shame”).
adj
- Embarrassed and shy, particularly because one is the subject of attention.e.g.“She says that she doesn't touch them, this is important, sometimes maybe a handshake may make them more shame, that is shy or embarrassed.” — 1998, Robyn Lynn, Rosamund Thorpe, Debra Miles with Christine Cutts, Anne Butcher, Linda Ford, 'Murri way!': Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders reconstruct social welfare practice, Centre for Soci
- Causing embarrassment or shyness.e.g.“"A lot of the time when we want to do stuff we'll be like, 'Oh no, that's shame — I don't want to do that because I'll be on my own'," Headland told NIT.” — 2021 June 1, “Danielle Headland seeking to inspire future Indigenous health workers”, in National Indigenous Times:
intj
- A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.
noun
- An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.e.g.“When I realized that I had hurt my friend, I felt deep shame.”
- Something to regret.e.g.“It was a shame not to see the show after driving all that way.”
- Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonour; ignominy; derision.e.g.“[…] because ye haue borne the shame of the heathen,” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 36:6:
- The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach and ignominy.e.g.“guides who are the shame of religion” — 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
- That which is shameful and private, especially private parts.e.g.“And he took fig-leaves and sewed (them) together, and made an apron for himself, and covered his shame.” — 1902, R. H. Charles, transl., The book of Jubilees, or The little Genesis, London: A. and C. Black, 3:22, page 26:
- The capacity to be ashamed, inhibiting one from brazen behaviour; due regard for one's own moral conduct and how one is perceived by others; restraint, moderation, decency.e.g.“Don't you have any shame?”
verb
- To cause to feel shame.e.g.“I was shamed by the teacher's public disapproval.”
- To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace.
- To denounce as having done something shameful; to criticize with the intent or effect of causing a feeling of shame.e.g.“Stop shaming others about their food choices.”
- To drive or compel by shame.e.g.“The politician was shamed into resigning.”
- To feel shame, be ashamed.
- To mock at; to deride.e.g.“Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 14:6:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).