1
a
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
She felt ashamed for hitting her brother.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Losing is nothing to be ashamed of.
He was deeply ashamed of his behavior.
b
: feeling inferior or unworthy
2
: reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment
I was ashamed to be seen with him.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer.
Examples of ashamed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rather than feeling ashamed, do your best to adopt the attitude of learning.
—
Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
Encouraging them to be open and not ashamed to talk about any potentially embarrassing symptoms can go a long way toward catching things early.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 10 May 2024
But most of them were really ashamed to talk about what happened to them.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 10 May 2024
And according to a new study by the travel information website Places to Travel, one airport in Utah should be feeling ashamed right now.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
The problem is that men are ashamed of this desire and scared of what other people will think.
—Vogue, 1 May 2024
Joi lived her life truthfully, according to Charlotte — never ashamed, and always kind.
—Nicolás Viñuela, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2024
Research shows that people with HS often feel ashamed, unworthy, or even unloveable, and that can ramp up as their symptoms get worse.
—Ade Onibada, SELF, 12 Apr. 2024
In fact, in coming forward with their own diagnoses, the royals are reminding the public to be vigilant against cancer and to get any suspicions checked out—while simultaneously reaffirming the fact that there is nothing to be ashamed of.
—Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
Encouraging them to be open and not ashamed to talk about any potentially embarrassing symptoms can go a long way toward catching things early.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 10 May 2024
But most of them were really ashamed to talk about what happened to them.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 10 May 2024
And according to a new study by the travel information website Places to Travel, one airport in Utah should be feeling ashamed right now.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
The problem is that men are ashamed of this desire and scared of what other people will think.
—Vogue, 1 May 2024
Joi lived her life truthfully, according to Charlotte — never ashamed, and always kind.
—Nicolás Viñuela, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2024
Research shows that people with HS often feel ashamed, unworthy, or even unloveable, and that can ramp up as their symptoms get worse.
—Ade Onibada, SELF, 12 Apr. 2024
In fact, in coming forward with their own diagnoses, the royals are reminding the public to be vigilant against cancer and to get any suspicions checked out—while simultaneously reaffirming the fact that there is nothing to be ashamed of.
—Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ashamed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ashamed
Cite this Entry
“Ashamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashamed. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ashamed
adjective1
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
ashamed of my behavior
2
: kept from doing something by an expectation of shame
ashamed to beg
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