shameful

adjective

shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl 

1

a

: bringing shame : disgraceful

b

: arousing the feeling of shame

2

archaic : full of the feeling of shame : ashamed

shamefully

ˈshām-fə-lē 

adverb

shamefulness noun

Synonyms of shameful

• notorious
• infamous
• shady
• immoral
• criminal
• disgraceful

Examples of shameful in a Sentence

There is no excuse for such shameful behavior.

shameful behavior by a bunch of drunken boors

Recent Examples on the Web

His campaign, which started with such excitement and inspired so many people in Maine, has become a shameful catastrophe. — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

Bay Staters answered a brutal heat wave and a shameful act of late-night vandalism with pure grit to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026

Risk wasn’t shameful and failure wasn’t final here. — Anthony Scaramucci, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Cleft palates appear not to have been treated as shameful under the Qing dynasty. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

shameful

adjective

shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl 

1

: bringing shame

shameful behavior

2

: arousing the feeling of shame

a shameful sight

shamefully

-fə-lē 

adverb

shamefulness

-fəl-nəs

noun