shame

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.

   “When I realized that I had hurt my friend, I felt deep shame.”

   “The teenager couldn’t bear the shame of introducing his parents.”

   “When he had saied no: what (ſaid Ariſtippus) is it ſhame to ſaile in a Shippe, that hath afoꝛetymes caried a great nomber mo: […]”

   “Have you no modesty, no maiden shame?”

   “When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.”

2. (uncountable, usually)Something to regret.

   “It was a shame not to see the show after driving all that way.”

   “Nor can thy ſhame giue phiſicke to my griefe,”

   “And what you do to me is a shame.”

   “But why does it always seem to be / Me lookin' at you, you lookin' at me / It's always the same, it's just a shame, that's all”

   “Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 – a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable – boy, can those trains shift under the wires.”

3. (uncountable, usually)Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonour; ignominy; derision.

   “[…] because ye haue borne the shame of the heathen,”

   “Honour and shame from no condition rise.”

   “And every woe a tear can claim Except an erring sister's shame.”

4. (uncountable, usually)The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach and ignominy.

   “guides who are the shame of religion”

   “Rimmer ducked his body low into his chair, so just his head remained above the table top, and peered past the backs of the examinees in front of him, waiting for the adjudicator to make his move. Waiting for him to leap forward and rip off his flimsy flightsuit, exposing his shame: his illustrated body, Rimmer's cheating frame.”

5. (uncountable, usually)That which is shameful and private, especially private parts.

   “And he took fig-leaves and sewed (them) together, and made an apron for himself, and covered his shame.”

   “She turns to lift her robe, and lays it across her as though she were revealing her shame, as though she were naked.”

   “She didn't even have her handbag, because Zelda had thoughtfully left it in the kitchen along with her clothes. And nobody had even offered her so much as a T-shirt to cover her shame.”

   “The trouble started early this morning when Pop was shoving his shirt and vest into his pants so he could cover his shame, as he puts it.”

   “His genitals lank between his legs, his chin dipped upon his breast, staring down at his shame.”

6. (uncountable, usually)The capacity to be ashamed, inhibiting one from brazen behaviour; due regard for one's own moral conduct and how one is perceived by others; restraint, moderation, decency.

   “Don't you have any shame?”

intj

1. A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.

   “Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees about future pension arrangements." #*: Mr. Charles R. Morris: Shame.”

   “[…] the Duke of Dorset charged in the list with "not known, but supposed forty thousand per year" (charitable supposition) had when formerly in office only about 3 or £4,000, and has not now, nor when the black list was printed, any office whatever — (Much tumult, and cries of "shame" and "doust the liars")”

2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of what a shame; expressing disappointment or sympathy

   “Shame, you poor thing, you must be cold!”

adj

1. Embarrassed and shy, particularly because one is the subject of attention.

   “She says that she doesn't touch them, this is important, sometimes maybe a handshake may make them more shame, that is shy or embarrassed.”

   “Int.[:] What types of things have you learnt about at AIME, like about yourselves or about others? Deon[:] To be confident. Greg[:] Yeah be confident. And not be shame…”

   “Aunty Gracelyn is most famous for her role in developing 'Condoman', the Indigenous superhero whose catchcry and public health message 'don’t be shame be game, use condoms!' became a defining figure of Australia's HIV and AIDS crisis.”

2. Causing embarrassment or shyness.

   “"A lot of the time when we want to do stuff we'll be like, 'Oh no, that's shame — I don't want to do that because I'll be on my own'," Headland told NIT.”

verb

1. (transitive)To cause to feel shame.

   “I was shamed by the teacher's public disapproval.”

   “Were there but one righteous in the world, he would[…]shame the world, and not the world him.”

2. (transitive)To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace.

   “And with fowle cowardize his carcas ſhame,”

3. (transitive)To denounce as having done something shameful; to criticize with the intent or effect of causing a feeling of shame.

   “Stop shaming others about their food choices.”

   “It is disgraceful that you should be used by adults for the purpose of trying to shame us because our extraction of timber from our forests.”

4. (transitive)To drive or compel by shame.

   “The politician was shamed into resigning.”

5. (intransitive, obsolete)To feel shame, be ashamed.

   “Broder she said I can not telle yow For it was not done by me nor by myn assente For he is my lord and I am his and he must be myn husband therfore my broder I wille that ye wete I shame me not to be with hym nor to doo hym alle the pleasyr that I can”

   “I do ſhame to thinke of what a noble ſtraine you are, and of how coward a ſpirit.”

6. (obsolete, transitive)To mock at; to deride.

   “Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.”