shameful

adjective

shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl How to pronounce shameful (audio)
1
a
: bringing shame : disgraceful
b
: arousing the feeling of shame
2
archaic : full of the feeling of shame : ashamed
shamefully adverb
shamefulness noun

Examples of shameful in a Sentence

There is no excuse for such shameful behavior. shameful behavior by a bunch of drunken boors
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their refusal to follow President Trump's executive order is a shameful, inflammatory political stunt that is inherently anti-woman and an absurd rejection of biological reality. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025 So far, our public officials have met this request with shameful silence. Mark Cohen, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025 Proponents of the policy suggested that harboring such shameful secrets made federal workers vulnerable to blackmail by Soviet operatives (though nobody ever quite explained how a gay postal worker posed a threat to the nation). Beverly Gage, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 After our withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 — that shameful debacle — many of us were concerned that the Taliban and al-Qaeda would refortify their alliance, never abandoned, and hit us again. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shameful

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of shameful was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shameful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shameful. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shameful

adjective
shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl How to pronounce shameful (audio)
1
: bringing shame
shameful behavior
2
: arousing the feeling of shame
a shameful sight
shamefully adverb
shamefulness
-fəl-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shameful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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