Meanings
noun15 minutes of shame pl (plural only)
- humorouspluralplural onlyuncommonA very short time in a negative spotlight of shame in individuals who have been subjected to public criticism and humiliation.
It's all how you handle your 15 minutes of fame or your 15 minutes of shame. If you do enough good deeds, then eventually people will forget the fool you made of yourself or the mistakes you made in the past.
2016, Tony A. Gaskins, Jr., The Dream Chaser, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 214
Origin
By analogy with 15 minutes of fame, chosen for the rhyme.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish 15 minut wstydu
- 15 minut wstydushort time in a negative spotlight
Cite this entry
APA
15 minutes of shame. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/15%20minutes%20of%20shame
MLA
“15 minutes of shame.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/15%20minutes%20of%20shame. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “15 minutes of shame,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/15%20minutes%20of%20shame.
Source: 15 minutes of shame on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.