Definition of "shame"

shame¹

/ʃeɪm/

noun
usually uncountable, plural shames
1. 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.
  Quotations
  When he had saied no: what (ſaid Ariſtippus) is it ſhame to ſaile in a Shippe, that hath afoꝛetymes caried a great nomber mo: […]
  1564 February, Erasmus, “The Saiynges of Aristippus”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentẽcious Saiynges, […], London: […] Ihon Kingston, book I, folio 43, verso, paragraph 42
  Have you no modesty, no maiden shame?
  c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i]
  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.
  1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
2. Something to regret.
  Quotations
  Nor can thy ſhame giue phiſicke to my griefe,
  1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 34”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […]‎, London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley
  And what you do to me is a shame.
  1977, Evelyn "Champagne" King, 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
  1983 October 31, Genesis, “That's All”, in Genesis‎
  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.
  2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68
3. Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonour; ignominy; derision.
  Quotations
  […] because ye haue borne the shame of the heathen,
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Ezekiel 36:6
  Honour and shame from no condition rise.
  1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […]
  And every woe a tear can claim Except an erring sister's shame.
  1813, Lord Byron, The Giaour
4. The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach and ignominy.
  Quotations
  guides who are the shame of religion
  1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727
  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.
  1989, Grant Naylor, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
5. That which is shameful and private, especially private parts.
  Quotations
  And he took fig-leaves and sewed (them) together, and made an apron for himself, and covered his shame.
  1902, R. H. Charles, transl., The book of Jubilees, or The little Genesis, London: A. and C. Black, 3:22, page 26
  She turns to lift her robe, and lays it across her as though she were revealing her shame, as though she were naked.
  1991, Martha Graham, Blood Memory, Washington Square Press
  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.
  2010, Jill Mansell, Millie's Fling
  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.
  2015, Marlene van Niekerk, Triomf
  His genitals lank between his legs, his chin dipped upon his breast, staring down at his shame.
  2015, Marion Grace Woolley, Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran, Ghostwoods Books, page 182
6. 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.
interjection
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.
  Quotations
  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.
  1982, “Telecommunications Bill”, in Hansard
  […] 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")
  1831, The Bristol Job Nott; or, Labouring Man's Friend‎
2. (South Africa) Expressing sympathy.

shame²

/ʃeɪm/

verb
third-person singular simple present shames, present participle shaming, simple past and past participle shamed
1. (transitive) To cause to feel shame.
  Quotations
  Were there but one righteous in the world, he would […] shame the world, and not the world him.
  1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727
2. (transitive) To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace.
  Quotations
  And with fowle cowardize his carcas ſhame,
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 13, page 295
3. (transitive) To denounce as having done something shameful; to criticize with the intent or effect of causing a feeling of shame.
4. (transitive) To drive or compel by shame.
5. (obsolete, intransitive) To feel shame, be ashamed.
  Quotations
  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(please add an English translation of this quotation)
  1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XXII, in Le Morte Darthur, book VII
  I do ſhame to thinke of what a noble ſtraine you are, and of how coward a ſpirit.
  c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon, […], published 1609, [Act IV, scene iii]
6. (obsolete, transitive) To mock at; to deride.
  Quotations
  Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Psalms 14:6

Definition of "shame"

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noun

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interjection

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shame2

verb

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shame¹

shame²