shameful
gb/ʃˈeɪmfəl/ us/ʃˈeɪmfəl/
B2
Inglese
~ 7400
Accezioni
0 accezioni
adjective
B2
property
1
deserving strong shame or blame
Very bad and wrong, so that people should feel shame or strong dislike about it.
Schema d'uso:
shameful [action/behavior/situation]
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes say *"I feel shameful"* when they mean *"I feel ashamed"*. Use **shameful** to describe actions, behavior, or situations that deserve shame, and **ashamed** to describe how a person feels. Also, avoid confusing **shameful** (adjective) with **shamefully** (adverb).
Sinonimi
disgraceful (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech.)
|
scandalous (Adds a sense that the behavior shocks the public or breaks social rules.)
|
outrageous (Focuses more on how shocking or extreme something is, not only on moral wrongness.)
Contrari
honorable (Describes behavior that deserves respect, the opposite of shameful conduct.)
|
praiseworthy (Emphasizes that something deserves praise instead of blame or shame.)
Collocazioni
shameful behavior
|shameful act
|shameful history
|shameful secret
|shameful truth
|shameful neglect
Temi
emotions
|ethics
|society
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- The government's shameful treatment of the refugees sparked international criticism.
- It is shameful that so many people still live without access to clean water.
- Dumping toxic waste in the river was a shameful act of greed.
- Their silence in the face of abuse was nothing short of shameful.
- The company has a shameful history of ignoring worker safety.
Esempi per chi studia
- His shameful behavior made his family very sad.
- It is shameful to lie to your friends.
- The report shows a shameful level of corruption.
- Many people think animal testing is shameful.
- The police called the attack a shameful crime.
adjective
C1
property
2
causing someone to feel ashamed
Making a person feel very ashamed or embarrassed about what they did or what happened.
Schema d'uso:
shameful [memory/experience/secret/past]
Errore comune:
Learners may overuse **shameful** for their own feelings, saying *"I am shameful"* instead of **"I am ashamed"**. Use **shameful** for the thing (secret, past, experience) that causes shame, and **ashamed** for the person who feels it.
Sinonimi
embarrassing (Weaker and more general; may refer to light social discomfort, not deep shame.)
|
humiliating (Stronger focus on being made to feel small or without dignity in front of others.)
|
mortifying (Very strong; suggests extreme shame or embarrassment.)
Contrari
proud (Describes a feeling of pleasure about oneself, the opposite of feeling shame because of a memory or experience.)
Collocazioni
shameful secret
|shameful memory
|shameful past
|shameful experience
Temi
emotions
|personal_life
|core_vocabulary
Esempi
- He carries a shameful secret from his youth that he has never shared with anyone.
- The scandal brought back shameful memories he had tried to forget.
- She struggled to talk about the shameful experiences of her childhood.
- He wanted to leave behind his shameful past and start a new life.
- For years she hid the shameful truth about how she had cheated on the exam.
Esempi per chi studia
- She cannot forget her shameful past.
- He has a shameful secret that he does not tell his friends.
- It was a shameful experience, and he does not like to talk about it.
- The photo reminds him of a shameful moment in his life.
- He feels bad when he thinks about his shameful mistake.
Grammatica
Forma base
shameful
IPA
GB/ʃˈeɪmfəl/
US/ʃˈeɪmfəl/
Sillabe e accento
shame - ful (2 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (shame)
Forme flesse
Adjective
- Base: shameful
Famiglia di parole
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
shamefulness
noun
shamelessness
noun
Espressioni
a shameful past
1/ə ʃˈeɪmfəl pˈæst/
fixed phrase
past that causes shame
A time in someone's life when they did things that now make them feel very ashamed.
Esempi
- He changed his name to escape his shameful past.
- The film shows how she slowly accepts her shameful past and moves on.
a shameful secret
1/ə ʃˈeɪmfəl sˈikɹɪt/
fixed phrase
secret that causes shame
A fact or event that someone hides because it makes them feel very ashamed.
Esempi
- He kept a shameful secret from his family for many years.
- The book tells the story of a shameful secret that destroys a friendship.
it is shameful that
1/ˈɪt ˈɪz ʃˈeɪmfəl ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
stating strong moral disapproval
Used before a clause to say that a situation is very bad and people should feel shame about it.
Esempi
- It is shameful that so many children go to bed hungry every night.
- Many people think it is shameful that workers are paid so little.
- It is shameful that the problem was ignored for so long.
shameful behavior
1/ʃˈeɪmfəl bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
fixed phrase
behavior deserving strong shame
Actions that are very wrong or bad and should make a person feel ashamed.
Esempi
- The coach was fired for his shameful behavior toward the players.
- Teachers warned that such shameful behavior would not be tolerated.