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

Examples of ashamed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When speaking to Briony in episode 3, Jamie recounts being bad at sports and knowing his dad, who wouldn't even look at him from the stands, was ashamed of his poor performance. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025

Losing to Philadelphia is nothing to be ashamed of, but Kansas City simply doesn't usually allow losses to pile on top of each other. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

Also, Florida State and Oklahoma should be ashamed of themselves for scheduling Kent State. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025

This conversation should always be open, hones, and not guarded or ashamed. —Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for ashamed

• counterclaimed
• unashamed
• abovenamed
• acclaimed
• declaimed
• defamed
• disclaimed
• exclaimed
• inflamed
• misnamed
• nicknamed
• proclaimed

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