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
Guaranteed or not, with Watson entering the final year of the deal, the Haslams and front office could’ve shown some shame by cutting their losses and moving on. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Essay Mine for Life Rudrapriya Rathore On the shame of mentorship. — Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
Their songs confronted rape culture, body shaming and the politics of gender while making room for queerness, friendship and collective strength — subjects that, as the band now sees it, remain painfully current. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026 The burnout duo, who live in an LA apartment dubbed Casa de Chill Zone, put Cheech and Chong to shame with their reefer madness. — Katie Walsh, Variety, 13 Aug. 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
  • Rabbi Joshua Davidson of Congregation Emanu-El, a Reform synagogue in New York, likewise said he was convinced by Galliano’s statements of remorse and his efforts to educate himself about Judaism and the Holocaust.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • After 25 years, juveniles sentenced to life in prison are entitled to a sentence review, where a judge considers modifying a defendant’s sentence — and weighs evidence of a defendant’s rehabilitation, maturity, remorse and background.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of remorse
Noun
  • Maceta, moved to pity at times, would put an ear to his friend’s chest and hear how Ruiz’s heart leaped about inside his body, as though trying to fly apart.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The actress was at a tipping point in her career, shifting from easily relatable protagonists to more complicated characters who didn’t require our affection or our pity.
    — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pity
Noun
  • When Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace over tax evasion, Kennerly was tapped to photograph one of his potential replacements as vice president, Gerald Ford.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Until Graham Platner’s Maine Senate campaign exploded in disgrace, Platner was routinely cast as a son of privilege playing Carhartt dress-up.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Verb
  • My husband was humiliated, he was degraded, and not able to defend himself.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Our minds generate sharp retorts or zingers that would eviscerate or humiliate them.
    — Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Noun
  • Ricky Anderson entered what is known as an Alford plea, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to support a conviction without admitting guilt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Graf also reiterated that his ruling was not a definitive finding of guilt, which will have to be determined by a jury during a future trial.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of guilt
Verb
  • In trying to discredit public concerns about data centers as a psyop, Goldman and others said, tech leaders are taking a page out of the intelligence playbook themselves.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Inflicting these details on the jury, the children’s family members, and the public served no discernible purpose in establishing Clancy’s mens rea, which might have discredited her not-guilty plea.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit
Noun
  • Even with a bushy beard, Branagh’s face offers a window to Nick’s life of regrets and his sudden wild hope.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One of her biggest regrets, in fact, is not sharing her story sooner, says Wootten.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of regret
Verb
  • Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.
    — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrass

Browse Nearby Words

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 Sep. 2026.

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