Library / English Dictionary

SHAME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An unfortunate development

Example:

it's a pity he couldn't do it

Synonyms:

pity; shame

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("shame" is a kind of...):

bad luck; misfortune (unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("shame" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shame"):

conscience (a feeling of shame when you do something immoral)

self-disgust; self-hatred (shame resulting from strong dislike of yourself or your actions)

embarrassment (the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public)

Derivation:

shame (cause to be ashamed)

shame (compel through a sense of shame)

shame (bring shame or dishonor upon)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A state of dishonor

Example:

suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison

Synonyms:

disgrace; ignominy; shame

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("shame" is a kind of...):

dishonor; dishonour (a state of shame or disgrace)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shame"):

humiliation (state of disgrace or loss of self-respect)

obloquy; opprobrium (state of disgrace resulting from public abuse)

odium (state of disgrace resulting from detestable behavior)

reproach (disgrace or shame)

Derivation:

shame (compel through a sense of shame)

shame (bring shame or dishonor upon)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Surpass or beat by a wide margin

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "shame" is one way to...):

exceed; outdo; outgo; outmatch; outperform; outstrip; surmount; surpass (be or do something to a greater degree)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot shame Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to be ashamed

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "shame" is one way to...):

arouse; elicit; enkindle; evoke; fire; kindle; provoke; raise (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shame"):

discountenance (look with disfavor on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

shame (a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Compel through a sense of shame

Example:

She shamed him into making amends

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "shame" is one way to...):

compel; obligate; oblige (force somebody to do something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Sentence examples:

They shame him to write the letter

The performance is likely to shame Sue

Derivation:

shame (a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt)

shame (a state of dishonor)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Bring shame or dishonor upon

Example:

he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime

Synonyms:

attaint; disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; shame

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shame"):

befoul; defile; foul; maculate (spot, stain, or pollute)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to shame Sue

Derivation:

shame (a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt)

shame (a state of dishonor)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Woe was it that his own unworthy brother, when he had fallen, sold his people to the Turk and brought the shame of slavery on them!

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

They had reached the end of the gallery, and with tears of shame she ran off to her own room.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I was under great difficulties between urgency and shame.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

And then shame came to him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It would be a shame not to go!

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Elizabeth, who knew this to be levelled at Mr. Darcy, was in such misery of shame, that she could hardly keep her seat.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

For shame, Willoughby, can you wait for an invitation here?

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Any personal suffering seemed to me to be better than to bring public shame upon a family which has held an untarnished record through so many centuries.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I know it," said the Lion, hanging his head in shame.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

“It’s a shame, after working hard all day, that we cannot have an uninterrupted night’s sleep,” I complained, after supper.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)