shame
gb/ʃˈeɪm/ us/ʃˈeɪm/
B1
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
painful feeling of guilt or embarrassment
A very bad feeling you have when you think you did something wrong or that other people will look down on you.
Usage pattern:
to feel shame about/for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *shame* instead of *embarrassment* for small social mistakes (like tripping or saying something a bit odd). In English, *shame* is usually stronger and more moral than simple embarrassment. Also, learners sometimes say *I have a shame*; natural English is *I feel shame* or *I am ashamed*.
Synonyms
guilt (Focuses more on the feeling of being responsible for doing wrong, not always on embarrassment in front of others.)
|
embarrassment (Usually a lighter, less moral feeling; shame suggests something more serious and painful.)
Antonyms
pride (A good feeling about yourself or your actions, opposite to the painful self-judgment of shame.)
Collocations
deep shame
|feel shame
|burn with shame
|sense of shame
|overcome your shame
|shame and guilt
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|morality
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He felt deep shame after lying to his parents.
- Her face burned with shame when the mistake was pointed out in front of everyone.
- They carried the shame of what they had done for many years.
- Out of shame, he avoided everyone who knew about the incident.
- The memory still filled her with shame long after it happened.
Learner examples
- He felt shame after he broke the promise.
- She could not look at them because of her shame.
- The boy’s eyes were full of shame when the teacher spoke to him.
- I remember the shame I felt when I cheated on the test.
- They live with shame because of their past actions.
Noun
B2
state
2
loss of respect or honor
A situation where a person or group loses respect from others because of bad actions.
Usage pattern:
to bring shame on/upon [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *give shame* instead of *bring shame on* or *cause shame to*. The natural verb in this pattern is *bring*, as in *His actions brought shame on his family*.
Synonyms
disgrace (Very close in meaning; often slightly stronger and more formal than *shame*.)
Antonyms
honor (Respect and admiration from others, the opposite of being in shame or disgrace.)
Collocations
bring shame on
|public shame
|a national shame
|family shame
|live in shame
|the shame of [something]
Themes
society
|morality
|reputation
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The cheating scandal brought shame on the entire team.
- He said he could no longer live with the shame of what he had done.
- The report described the treatment of prisoners as a national shame.
- Her actions were a great shame to her family.
- The leader resigned in shame after the corruption was exposed.
Learner examples
- The crime brought shame on his family.
- He left the city in shame after the news came out.
- It is a shame for the country that so many people are poor.
- They carry the shame of their past actions.
- The company’s shame was in all the newspapers.
Noun
B1
event
3
something regrettable or unfortunate
Used for saying that something is bad, sad, or not what you wanted.
Usage pattern:
it is a shame (that) [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *it is shame* instead of *it is a shame*. In this meaning, *a* is required. Also, some learners confuse this with the emotion and say *I feel a shame that…*; natural English is simply *It’s a shame that…* or *I’m sorry that…*.
Synonyms
pity (Very close in this use; *what a pity* and *what a shame* are often interchangeable, though *shame* can sound slightly stronger or more emotional.)
Antonyms
relief (An opposite reaction: instead of feeling it is sad or bad, you feel glad that something happened or did not happen.)
Collocations
it’s a shame that
|what a shame
|a real shame
|a terrible shame
|a crying shame
Themes
daily_life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It’s a shame you can’t stay for dinner.
- What a shame that the concert was cancelled.
- It would be a real shame to waste such a good opportunity.
- It’s such a shame they had to close the library.
- It’s a crying shame that so many people can’t afford a home.
Learner examples
- It’s a shame you have to work tonight.
- What a shame that you missed the show.
- It would be a shame to throw this food away.
- It’s a real shame that they are moving.
- It’s a shame we don’t have more time.
Verb
C1
action
4
make someone feel ashamed
To make a person feel very bad or embarrassed about what they did, often in public.
Usage pattern:
to shame [someone] (into [doing something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *shame on* as a verb (*The article shamed on the company*). *Shame on* is a fixed phrase (as in *Shame on you!*), not a normal verb pattern. Use *shame [someone]* or *shame [someone] into [doing something]*.
Synonyms
humiliate (Usually stronger and more formal; focuses on making someone feel very small or foolish in front of others.)
|
embarrass (Can be milder and less moral; *shame* often suggests a judgment about right and wrong.)
Antonyms
praise (To express approval or admiration, the opposite of making someone feel ashamed.)
Collocations
publicly shame
|shame someone into
|try to shame
|name and shame
|to shame others
Themes
emotions
|society
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- They tried to shame the company into paying fair wages.
- She felt he was only shaming her instead of helping her fix the problem.
- The report shamed the government by revealing years of failures.
- He was shamed in front of the whole class for copying the homework.
- Activists used social media to name and shame polluting firms.
Learner examples
- The teacher did not want to shame the boy in front of the class.
- They tried to shame the manager into changing the rules.
- The story in the news shamed the company.
- I don’t want to shame him; I just want him to understand.
- She felt shamed by her friends’ comments.
Noun
C1
property
5
sense of decency or modesty
The normal feeling that stops a person from doing bad, rude, or selfish things, because they would feel ashamed.
Usage pattern:
to have (no) shame
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *no shame* with *not shy*. *Having no shame* is stronger; it usually means doing bad or rude things without caring, not just being confident.
Synonyms
decency (Focuses more on social and moral standards; *shame* here is the inner feeling that supports that decency.)
Antonyms
shamelessness (The complete lack of shame or guilt, especially when doing something wrong or rude.)
Collocations
have no shame
|a sense of shame
|without shame
|lose all shame
|show no shame
Themes
morality
|character
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has no shame; he’ll lie to anyone to get what he wants.
- Where is your sense of shame, talking like that to your parents?
- She asked the question without the slightest shame.
- They begged for money on the street without shame.
- The ad seems to celebrate greed and a total lack of shame.
Learner examples
- He has no shame; he takes money from his friends and never pays it back.
- She spoke without shame about her selfish plans.
- You should have some shame when you talk to your teacher.
- They did it with no shame at all.
- He lost all shame when he started to cheat people.
interjection
informal
B2
action
6
spoken reaction of sympathy/disapproval
A word you say to show you feel sorry about something bad, or that you think someone’s behavior is bad.
Common mistake:
This use is regional (for example in South African and some British varieties). Learners may overuse it in all contexts. In many situations, *I’m sorry to hear that* or *That’s too bad* is more natural in international English.
Synonyms
too bad (Similar when expressing sympathy about an unfortunate event, though *shame* can also express moral disapproval.)
Antonyms
well done (A positive reaction word, opposite in tone to a reaction of sympathy or disapproval.)
Themes
conversation
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- “I didn’t get the job.” “Oh, shame. I know you really wanted it.”
- “He still refuses to apologize.” “Shame! He should know better.”
- The crowd shouted, “Shame!” as the politician left the building.
- “They cancelled the game because of the rain.” “Ah, shame, the kids were so excited.”
- People in the audience cried, “Shame on you! Shame!” during the speech.
Learner examples
- “I failed my test.” “Shame, I know you tried hard.”
- When he refused to help, people shouted, “Shame!”
- She said, “Oh shame, I wanted to see you.”
- “We lost the match again.” “Shame, maybe next time.”
- The crowd called, “Shame!” when they heard the bad news.
Grammar
Dictionary form
shame
IPA
GB/ʃˈeɪm/
US/ʃˈeɪm/
Syllables & stress
shame (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (shame)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: shame
- Plural: shame
Verb
- Base: shame
- 3rd Person Singular: shames
- Present Participle: shaming
- Past: shamed
Word family
Forms
shames
verb
shaming
verb
shamed
verb
Related words
shamefully
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
shamelessness
noun
Expressions
crying shame
1/kɹˈaɪɪŋ ʃˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
very regrettable situation
Used to say that something is very sad or very wrong and should not happen.
Examples
- 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
1/dˈaɪ əv ʃˈeɪm/
idiom
informal
feel extreme shame
To feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed, used in an exaggerated way (you do not really die).
Examples
- 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
1/hˈæv nˈoʊ ʃˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
completely lack shame
To not feel bad or embarrassed at all, even when doing things that most people think are wrong or rude.
Examples
- 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)
1/ˈɪts ə ʃˈeɪm ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
introducing a regrettable fact
Used before a sentence to say that what you are going to say is sad, bad, or disappointing.
Examples
- 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
1/mˈɔɹˌeɪz ðə ʃˈeɪm/
idiom
literary
emphasizing something is regrettable
An old-fashioned phrase that means ‘and that is very unfortunate’ or ‘and that should not be like that’.
Examples
- 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
1/nˈeɪm ˈænd ʃˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
publicly 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.
Examples
- 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
1/pˈʊt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ tə ʃˈeɪm/
idiom
make others look bad by comparison
To be much better than someone or something, so that the other person or thing looks weak or bad.
Examples
- 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
1/ʃˈeɪm ˈɔn jˈu/
idiom
telling someone to feel ashamed
Used to say strongly that you think someone did something bad or wrong and should feel ashamed.
Examples
- 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
1/wˈɔk əv ʃˈeɪm/
idiom
informal
embarrassing 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.
Examples
- 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
1/wˈʌt ə ʃˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
saying something is unfortunate
Used to say that you think something is sad, disappointing, or not what you wanted.
Examples
- 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.