ashamed

adjective

ə-ˈshāmd 

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.

ashamedly

ə-ˈshā-məd-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• guilty
• shamed
• shamefaced

Examples of ashamed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona should be ashamed of our miserly funding of schools. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024

What’s instilled in me is the value of having nothing to be ashamed of. —Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024

Last week, the Los Angeles LGBT Center held its 27th annual Senior Prom event, which invites members of the LGBTQ+ community over age 50 to celebrate being gay — something many of them were ashamed of as teens. —Sydney Page, Washington Post, 6 July 2024

People considering suicide often seem depressed, anxious, irritable, angry, ashamed, or uninterested in activities. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English āscamod, past participle of āscamian to shame, from ā- (perfective prefix) + scamian to shame — more at abide, shame

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ashamed

adjective

ə-ˈshāmd 

1

: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace

ashamed of my behavior

2

: kept from doing something by an expectation of shame

ashamed to beg

ashamedly

-ˈshā-məd-lē 

adverb