shame 1 of 2

noun

ˈshām How to pronounce shame (audio)
Definition of shamenext
1
as in remorse
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing racked with shame over her actions of the previous week

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2
as in pity
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a shame you won't be able to come to the party

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3
as in disgrace
the state of having lost the esteem of others left the room in shame after his angry outburst

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shame

2 of 2

verb

as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes shamed the family name with his conviction for embezzlement

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shame
Noun
She is obsessed with her closet, the organization of which puts even Kim to shame. — Jonathan Van Meter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 In a May 2023 Instagram post, Allen apologized to Gale for having an affair and acknowledged that his choices brought shame and humiliation to his family. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
In solving Birkin’s everyday problem, Dumas also created one of fashion’s most elusive status symbols, with a resale value capable of shaming many a Ferrari. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 As news of the allegations spread, some discussions were supportive of Doe, but others shamed her in conversations, a former member of Doe’s sorority, Delta Delta Delta, told NBC News. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shame
  1. remorse
  2. pity
  3. disgrace
  4. humiliate
  5. guilt
  6. discredit
  7. regret
  8. embarrass
Noun
  • Prosecutors urged a lengthy sentence based on Skroko’s criminal history and lack of remorse.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • At the hearing, prosecutors argued for life in prison, citing the brothers’ decadeslong assaults of dozens of women (over 70 have come forward) and lack of remorse.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of remorse
Noun
  • The pity of the judge who imprisoned them here was cold comfort for a group of people who had little reason to trust any legal authority.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Still, the track eventually collides into a seasick wall of distortion that recalls lovesliescrushing’s weightless takes on shoegaze as Pitchkites sings of unmet expectations and self pity.
    — Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pity
Noun
  • Beneath the spy plots, then, is a fond portrait of a group of people held in perpetual disgrace for their shortcomings, and thus forced to find individual paths to redemption.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But Scott was mercifully lifted for Evan Phillips, who recorded the final out of the game to save the Dodgers from disgrace.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Verb
  • From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers come off an angry loss while the Panthers were humiliated on Sunday.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Noun
  • Through imposing guilt by association and collective punishments, the North Korean state has spent decades attenuating the relationships through which private anger might be converted into collective action.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But the main focus is Sanaa’s relationship with her late father and her guilt over how she may be connected to his crimes.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of guilt
Verb
  • In his closing arguments Monday, Nov 2, attorney Ian Winter worked to discredit and downplay the six women whose allegations anchor the criminal case against Brand (via Sky News).
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2026
  • With the midterms now days away, the complaint is part of an urgent effort to discredit Peltola in a must-win Senate race that could easily determine the upper chamber’s majority.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of discredit
Noun
  • The forcefulness of their singing conveys desperation, but preempts so much of the nuance that enlivens their songs—the fundamental regret in their voice grinding against the fundamental determination.
    — Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • As love, lust and regret take hold of the court, Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk), the charming crown prince of the Western Kingdom, turns his eye to Navier.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of regret
Verb
  • The Jets have already been embarrassed by the Bears and Dolphins this season.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The colliding scandals embarrassed the city of South Lake Tahoe, a Sierra Nevada enclave of about 21,000 people near the Nevada border, where residents addressed the situation at an emotional City Council meeting last year.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass

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shambolic
shame
shamed
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Cite this Entry

“Shame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shame. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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