Ashamed
/əˈʃeɪmd/
adjectiveBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Feeling distress or embarrassment caused by something regarded as improper or unacceptable.
/əˈʃeɪmd/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
General
Feeling guilt, embarrassment, or remorse.
She was ashamed of her lies.
💡 Simply: Feeling bad about something you did.
More Examples
2
He felt ashamed to admit his mistake.
How It's Used
Everyday Conversation
"I felt ashamed of my behavior at the party."
Literature
"He was ashamed of his cowardly actions during the war."
From Old English *scæmful, from *sceamian "to be ashamed". The word has maintained a consistent negative connotation throughout its history.
The word 'ashamed' has been used consistently to denote a feeling of guilt or embarrassment since Old English times.
Memory tip
Think of 'shame' and add '-ed' to show the feeling is being experienced.
Practice
Base: shame
ashaimed
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written