Lexic.us

Definition of Shame

1. Verb. Bring shame or dishonor upon. "The performance is likely to shame Sue"; "He dishonored his family by committing a serious crime"

2. Noun. A painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt.

3. Verb. Compel through a sense of shame. "The performance is likely to shame Sue"; "She shamed him into making amends"

4. Noun. A state of dishonor. "Suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison"

5. Verb. Cause to be ashamed.

6. Noun. An unfortunate development. "It's a pity he couldn't do it"

7. Verb. Surpass or beat by a wide margin. "Sam cannot shame Sue "

Definition of Shame

1. n. A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of having done something which injures reputation, or of the exposure of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal.

2. v. t. To make ashamed; to excite in (a person) a comsciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of conduct derogatory to reputation; to put to shame.

3. v. i. To be ashamed; to feel shame.

Definition of Shame

1. Noun. Uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of impropriety, dishonor(,) or other wrong in the opinion of the person experiencing the feeling. It is caused by awareness of exposure of circumstances of unworthiness or of improper or indecent conduct. ¹

2. Noun. Something to regret. ¹

3. Noun. (archaic) That which is shameful and private, especially on the personal body. ¹

4. Interjection. A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, often used reduplicated, especially in political debates. ¹

5. Verb. (obsolete intransitive) To feel shame, be ashamed. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive) To cause to feel shame. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Shame

1. to cause to feel a painful sense of guilt or degradation [v SHAMED, SHAMING, SHAMES]

Medical Definition of Shame

1. 1. A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of having done something which injures reputation, or of the exposure of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal. "HIde, for shame, Romans, your grandsires' images, That blush at their degenerate progeny." (Dryden) "Have you no modesty, no maiden shame?" (Shak) 2. Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonor; ignominy; derision; contempt. "Ye have borne the shame of the heathen." (Ezek. Xxxvi. 6) "Honor and shame from no condition rise." (Pope) "And every woe a tear can claim Except an erring sister's shame." (Byron) 3. The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach, and degrades a person in the estimation of others; disgrace. "O Csar, what a wounding shame is this!" (Shak) "Guides who are the shame of religion." (Shak) 4. The parts which modesty requires to be covered; the private parts. For shame! you should be ashamed; shame on you! To put to shame, to cause to feel shame; to humiliate; to disgrace. "Let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil." Origin: OE. Shame, schame, AS. Scamu, sceamu; akin to OS. & OHG. Scama, G. Scham, Icel. Skomm, shkamm, Sw. & Dan. Skam, D. & G. Schande, Goth. Skanda shame, skaman sik to be ashamed; perhaps from a root skam meaning to cover, and akin to the root (kam) of G. Hemd shirt, E. Chemise. Cf. Sham. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Shame

shamateurs shamba shambas shamble shambled shambler shamblers shambles shamblier shambling

shamblingly shamblings shambly shambolic shambolically shame (current term) shame, shame shame on you shame plant shameable

shameably shamed shamefaced shamefacedly shamefacedness shamefast shamefastly shamefastness shameful shamefully

Literary usage of Shame

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come by John Bunyan (1838)
"Yes, I met with shame; but of all the men that I met with in my pilgrimage, he, I think, bears the wrong name. The other would be said nay, after a little ..."

2. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin (1872)
"SHLF-ATTENTION — shame — SHYNESS — MODESTY : BLUSHING. Nature of a blush — Inheritance — The parts of the body most affected—Blushing in the various races ..."

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