Synonyms for shame
- noun
- verb
- interjection
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Disgrace — something to regret
disgrace, dishonor US, dishonour UK, ignominy, humiliation, embarrassment, mortification, contempt, reproach, infamy, scandal, abomination, sully, tarnish, discredit, degradation, odium, stain, abasement, obloquy, opprobrium dated
2. Modesty
Verb
1. Humiliate — to cause to feel shame
humiliate, mortify, humble, insult, embarrass, taint, put to shame, chagrin, demean, confuse, debase, degrade, confound, disconcert, abash rare
Other
attaint rare
Interjection
1. Pity — ellipsis of what a shame; expressing disappointment or sympathy
pity, what a pity, cuhdear rare
Definitions
- n. 1
Something to regret.
It was a shame not to see the show after driving all that way.
- n. 2
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.
- v. 1
To cause to feel shame.
I was shamed by the teacher's public disapproval.
- interj. 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.
Related words
Choose the right word
Shame involves the consciousness of fault, guilt, or impropriety; chagrin of failure of judgment, or harm to reputation. A consciousness that one has displayed his own ignorance will cause him mortification, however worthy his intent; if there was a design to deceive, the exposure will cover him with shame.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- disgrace What you did brought disgrace on the whole class.
- humiliation How do you put up with that kind of humiliation?
- dishonor We dishonor the living and venerate the dead.
- ignominy Both cars suffered the ignominy of finishing a lap down.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| shame | rising | |
| disgrace | steady | |
| humiliation | rising | |
| dishonor | rising | |
| ignominy | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- pity2
- 5 letters
- stain1, sully2, taint1, odium, abash2
- 6 letters
- humble2, insult2, infamy3, demean2, debase2
- 7 letters
- scandal2, confuse2, decency3, degrade2, modesty3, tarnish2, decorum3, chagrin2, mortify3, obloquy3, attaint, cuhdear
- 8 letters
- disgrace2, contempt2, dishonor3, reproach2, confound2, ignominy4
- 9 letters
- discredit3, embarrass3, humiliate4, dishonour, abasement, abashment
- 10 letters
- opprobrium4, diffidence, disconcert3
- 11 letters
- degradation4, humiliation5, abomination5
- 13 letters
- embarrassment4, mortification4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pity2 = 2 syllables).