shame
A very bad feeling you have when you think you did something wrong or that other people will look down on you.
A strong, painful feeling of guilt, embarrassment, or humiliation because you believe you have done something wrong, bad, or socially unacceptable.
A situation where a person or group loses respect from others because of bad actions.
The state of being publicly disgraced or dishonored, or the loss of respect caused by someone’s bad actions.
Used for saying that something is bad, sad, or not what you wanted.
Used to say that a situation is sad, disappointing, or regrettable.
To make a person feel very bad or embarrassed about what they did, often in public.
To cause someone to feel ashamed or deeply embarrassed, especially by drawing attention to their wrong or bad behavior.
The normal feeling that stops a person from doing bad, rude, or selfish things, because they would feel ashamed.
A person’s natural capacity to feel shame, embarrassment, or moral restraint, especially in the phrase ‘a sense of shame’ or ‘no shame’.
A word you say to show you feel sorry about something bad, or that you think someone’s behavior is bad.
Used, especially in some varieties of English, to express sympathy about something bad that has happened or disapproval of someone’s behavior.
- Base: shame
- Plural: shame
- Base: shame
- 3rd Person Singular: shames
- Present Participle: shaming
- Past: shamed
crying shame
1very regrettable situation
Used to say that something is very sad or very wrong and should not happen.
- It’s a crying shame that so many children go to bed hungry.
- What a crying shame to waste such talent.
- It’s a crying shame that the park may be turned into a parking lot.
die of shame
1feel extreme shame
To feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed, used in an exaggerated way (you do not really die).
- I wanted to die of shame when I saw my mistake on the big screen.
- She said she would die of shame if anyone found out.
- He almost died of shame when his mother showed his baby photos to his friends.
have no shame
1completely lack shame
To not feel bad or embarrassed at all, even when doing things that most people think are wrong or rude.
- He has no shame; he lies to everyone.
- Some influencers seem to have no shame about promoting anything for money.
- She has no shame about cutting in line every day.
it’s a shame (that)
1introducing a regrettable fact
Used before a sentence to say that what you are going to say is sad, bad, or disappointing.
- It’s a shame that we don’t live closer to each other.
- It’s a shame you have to leave so early.
- It’s a shame that the museum is closed on Mondays.
more’s the shame
1emphasizing something is regrettable
An old-fashioned phrase that means ‘and that is very unfortunate’ or ‘and that should not be like that’.
- Few people read serious news anymore, more’s the shame.
- They never apologized, more’s the shame.
- He doesn’t use his talent, more’s the shame.
name and shame
1publicly expose wrongdoers
To publicly say the names of people or groups that did something wrong, in order to make them feel bad and change their behavior.
- The campaign plans to name and shame companies that pollute the river.
- Some newspapers regularly name and shame drunk drivers.
- They used social media to name and shame employers who broke the law.
put [someone/something] to shame
1make others look bad by comparison
To be much better than someone or something, so that the other person or thing looks weak or bad.
- Her homemade bread puts the store-bought kind to shame.
- The young player’s energy put the older team members to shame.
- Their kindness puts our small donation to shame.
shame on you
1telling someone to feel ashamed
Used to say strongly that you think someone did something bad or wrong and should feel ashamed.
- Shame on you for lying to your friends.
- “You cheated on the exam?” “Shame on you!”
- Shame on you if you knew and said nothing.
walk of shame
1embarrassing walk after an event
An embarrassing walk in public after doing something people may judge, for example leaving someone’s home in the morning after a one-night stand, or leaving a game after a big loss.
- He did the walk of shame back to the office after the presentation went badly.
- She joked about her walk of shame through the hotel lobby the next morning.
- Fans began the long walk of shame home after their team lost 5–0.
what a shame
1saying something is unfortunate
Used to say that you think something is sad, disappointing, or not what you wanted.
- What a shame you couldn’t come to the party.
- What a shame the weather was so bad on your holiday.
- What a shame he didn’t see her before she left.