shame

Definition

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.

Etymology

From Middle English schame, from Old English sċamu, from Proto-Germanic *skamō. Cognates *German Scham (“shame”) *German Low German Schaam (“shame, shamefacedness”) *Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish skam (“shame”) *Faroese skomm (“shame, dishonour”) *Icelandic skömm (“shame”) *Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌼𐌰 (skama, “shame”).

Example Sentences

• "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: […]"

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