1
a
: bringing shame : disgraceful
b
: arousing the feeling of shame
2
archaic
: full of the feeling of shame : ashamed
shamefulness
noun
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
Take the show’s unflinching portrayal of Black maternal mortality, one of America’s most shameful healthcare crises.
—
Robert Raben, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Given how often Caravaggio painted betrayal and violence, a sense of guilt, however sublimated, is often woven into the experience of his work, the shameful feeling of being a passerby who sees all but fails to intervene.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Something shameful felt very near, almost on top of him.
—Mary Gaitskill, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
That doesn’t mean things have always been done right; reports that police and sanitation workers have in some circumstances simply discarded or destroyed inhabitants’ belongings without giving them the ability to pack up are shameful.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shameful
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Robert Raben, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Given how often Caravaggio painted betrayal and violence, a sense of guilt, however sublimated, is often woven into the experience of his work, the shameful feeling of being a passerby who sees all but fails to intervene.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Something shameful felt very near, almost on top of him.
—Mary Gaitskill, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026
That doesn’t mean things have always been done right; reports that police and sanitation workers have in some circumstances simply discarded or destroyed inhabitants’ belongings without giving them the ability to pack up are shameful.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shameful
Cite this Entry
“Shameful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shameful. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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