1
a
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
She felt ashamed for hitting her brother.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Losing is nothing to be ashamed of.
He was deeply ashamed of his behavior.
b
: feeling inferior or unworthy
2
: reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment
I was ashamed to be seen with him.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer.
Examples of ashamed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Later, Pryor’s widow Jennifer confirmed the rumor, telling TMZ that her late husband was always open about his bisexuality with friends and would not be ashamed that the relationship was revealed publicly.
—
Stephanie Petit, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
In Horse Crazy, Indiana’s first and best novel, his unnamed narrator invites a prospective boyfriend to his similarly cluttered apartment and feels ashamed—not of its mess, exactly, but of the sheer number of books on his shelves.
—Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
That being said, there’s nothing wrong or unusual about being burnt out from playing with your kids, and no parent should ever feel ashamed for taking the easy way out when the responsibilities of parenting feel overwhelming.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
By admitting that stress and uncertainty are not experiences to feel ashamed of, or something that can be shrugged off or ignored, leaders can foster a greater sense of team solidarity and trust.
—Adrian Gostick, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ashamed 
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Stephanie Petit, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
In Horse Crazy, Indiana’s first and best novel, his unnamed narrator invites a prospective boyfriend to his similarly cluttered apartment and feels ashamed—not of its mess, exactly, but of the sheer number of books on his shelves.
—Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
That being said, there’s nothing wrong or unusual about being burnt out from playing with your kids, and no parent should ever feel ashamed for taking the easy way out when the responsibilities of parenting feel overwhelming.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024
By admitting that stress and uncertainty are not experiences to feel ashamed of, or something that can be shrugged off or ignored, leaders can foster a greater sense of team solidarity and trust.
—Adrian Gostick, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ashamed
Dictionary Entries Near ashamed
Cite this Entry
“Ashamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashamed. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ashamed
adjective1
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
ashamed of my behavior
2
: kept from doing something by an expectation of shame
ashamed to beg
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