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   shame

   /ʃeɪm/

   noun

   • 1. a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour: "she was hot with shame" Similar humiliationmortificationchagrinignominyloss of faceshamefacednessembarrassmentindignityabashmentdiscomfortdiscomfiturediscomposureguiltremorsecontritioncompunctionOpposite prideindifference
   • ▪ a loss of respect or esteem; dishonour: "the incident had brought shame on his family" Similar disgracedishonourdiscreditdegradationignominydisreputeill-reputeinfamyscandalodiumopprobriumobloquycondemnationcontemptrare:disesteemreprobationderogationOpposite honourglory
   • ▪ a person, action, or situation that brings a loss of respect or honour: "ignorance of Latin would be a disgrace and a shame to any public man" Similar discredit todisgrace tostain onblemish onblot onblot on the escutcheon ofslur onreproach tobad reflection onstigmascandaloutrageliterary:smirch onOpposite credit
   • 2. a regrettable or unfortunate situation or action: "what a shame Ellie won't be here" Similar pitymisfortunecrying shamecause for regretsource of regretsad thingunfortunate thingbad luckill luckinformal:bummercrimesin

   verb

   • 1. make (someone) feel ashamed: "I tried to shame him into giving some away" Similar humiliatemortifymake someone feel ashamedchagrinembarrassabashchastenhumbleput someone in their placetake down a peg or twocut down to sizeshow upinformal:make someone eat crowown
   • ▪ bring shame to: "the entire debacle has shamed Scotland"
   • ▪ cause (someone) to feel inadequate by outdoing or surpassing them: "she shames me with her eighty-year-old energy"

   exclamation

   • 1. used to express sentimental pleasure, especially at something small and endearing: South African "look at the foals—shame, aren't they sweet?"

   Word Origin Old Englishsc(e)amu (noun), sc(e)amian ‘feel shame’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schamen (verb) and German Scham (noun), schämen (verb).

   Scrabble Points: 10

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