shameful

shame·ful | \ ˈshām-fəl

How to pronounce shameful (audio)

\

Definition of shameful

1a : bringing shame : disgraceful

b : arousing the feeling of shame

2 archaic : full of the feeling of shame : ashamed

Other Words from shameful Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about shameful

Keep scrolling for more

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 These shameful performances often take place before pot-bellied men enacting the ancient king’s annual return from exile in the netherworld to meet his subjects. — Harish Pullanoor, Quartz India, "We, the permanent villains of Indian mythology, must reclaim our fallen icons," 30 Dec. 2019 Allowing me to spend the last five months sitting with a ton of stress was shameful. — Graham Kates, CBS News, "Burlington police chief resigns after anonymously trolling critic; new chief axed hours later for same thing," 17 Dec. 2019 The complete lack of understanding here is shameful. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "Chris Evans and more actors criticize James Dean's posthumous CGI movie role," 7 Nov. 2019 In contemporary Hollywood, loose talk and shameful behavior leads to steady employment for Ray Donovan, portrayed by Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber in Showtime's series of the same name. — Hugh Hart, latimes.com, "Be it 'Ray Donovan,' 'Billions' or 'Trust,' TV's fixers crank up the tension," 6 June 2018 The complete lack of understanding here is shameful. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "Chris Evans and more actors criticize James Dean's posthumous CGI movie role," 7 Nov. 2019 The complete lack of understanding here is shameful. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "Chris Evans and more actors criticize James Dean's posthumous CGI movie role," 7 Nov. 2019 The complete lack of understanding here is shameful. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "Chris Evans and more actors criticize James Dean's posthumous CGI movie role," 7 Nov. 2019 Harder, because both were (or still are, in Bissinger’s case) received in the world as heterosexual, successful, wealthy white men—an armor whose cracking is perforce traumatic, shameful, and almost always hidden. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "The Soul-Searching of Buzz Bissinger," 15 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shameful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about shameful

Dictionary Entries near shameful

shamefaced crab

shame on (someone)

Statistics for shameful

Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Shameful.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shameful. Accessed 21 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for shameful

shameful

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of shameful

: very bad : bad enough to make someone ashamed

See the full definition for shameful in the English Language Learners Dictionary

shameful

shame·ful | \ ˈshām-fəl

\

Kids Definition of shameful

: bringing shame : disgraceful “It would have been shameful to fail … when everyone knew that you could do well.”— Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

bonhomie

good-natured easy friendliness

Test Your Vocabulary

Intact Latin Quiz

What did focus mean in Latin?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.