SHAME

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does shame mean? 

• SHAME (noun)
  The noun SHAME has 3 senses:

1. a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

2. a state of dishonor

3. an unfortunate development

  Familiarity information: SHAME used as a noun is uncommon.

• SHAME (verb)
  The verb SHAME has 4 senses:

1. bring shame or dishonor upon

2. compel through a sense of shame

3. cause to be ashamed

4. surpass or beat by a wide margin

  Familiarity information: SHAME used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHAME (noun)

Sense 1

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 2

Meaning:

A state of dishonor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

disgrace; ignominy; shame

Context example:

suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison

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)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An unfortunate development

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

pity; shame

Context example:

it's a pity he couldn't do it

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

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

• SHAME (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they shame    ... he / she / it shames   
Past simple: shamed   
Past participle: shamed   
-ing form: shaming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring shame or dishonor upon

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

attaint; disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; shame

Context example:

he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Compel through a sense of shame

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

She shamed him into making amends

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 3

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 4

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

 Context examples 

‘Alas, Holmes, I fear that it is one of sin and shame!’ cried my friend.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I take shame,” said Alleyne, “that I should have touched it.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Her mother said it was a shame, but told her she had done right.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I was only ten years of age at the time, but I was old enough to feel the shame and horror of it all.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was seized with shame: my tongue would not utter the request I had prepared.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

But even the shame did not burn very sharply.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“The shame,” he answered, “is all mine, or ought to be. But is it possible that you had no suspicion? I mean of late. Early, I know, you had none.”

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Love some good girl that will be what I was once to uncle, and be true to you, and worthy of you, and know no shame but me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“Oh, for shame!” cried Mrs. Norris.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Why, that requires not this preparation; ye need not have come thus far and dragged your captain to the shame of a defeat merely to prove yourselves cowards.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)