shamefaced

S1H4A1M3E1F4A1C3E1D2
/ˈʃeɪmˌfeɪst/

adjective

Bashful; showing modesty, embarrassment, shyness, or self-consciousness.

Similar
modestsheepishashamedguiltyhangdogshamed
OriginMiddle English schamefast ← Old English sċamfæst →
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Meanings

adjectiveshamefaced (comparative more shamefaced, superlative most shamefaced)

comparative more shamefaced · superlative most shamefaced

  1. Bashful; showing modesty, embarrassment, shyness, or self-consciousness.

    Youth is not glorious; it is shamefaced. It is a time of self-searching and self-exacerbation.

    1918 [1915], Thomas Burke, Nights in London, New York: Henry Holt and Company
  2. Ashamed, displaying shame, especially by blushing in the face.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveextremely modest or shy

Similar
modest

adjectiveshowing a sense of shame

Similar
sheepishashamed

adjectiveshowing a sense of guilt

Similar
guiltyhangdogshamedashamed
Also see
abashedashamedembarrassedguiltyhangdogmodestshamedsheepish

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishsċamfæst“modest”
  2. Middle Englishschamefast
  3. Englishshamefaced

Alteration (due to folk etymology: shame + faced) of shamefast, from Middle English schamefast, schamfast, sceomefest, from Old English sċamfæst (“modest”), equivalent to shame + fast. Synchronically with -faced (/ˈfeɪst/).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian срамежлив
  • срамежлив (sramežliv)bashful or ashamed
Dutch beschaamd
  • beschaamdbashful or ashamed
Estonian häbistatud
  • häbistatudbashful or ashamed
French penaud, honteux
  • penaudbashful or ashamed
  • honteuxbashful or ashamed
German verlegen, verschämt
  • verlegenbashful or ashamed
  • verschämtbashful or ashamed
Italian vergognoso, ritroso
  • vergognosobashful or ashamed
  • ritrosobashful or ashamed
Russian робкий, стыдливый
  • робкий (robkij)bashful or ashamed
  • стыдливый (stydlivyj)bashful or ashamed
Spanish avergonzado, apenado
  • avergonzadobashful or ashamed
  • apenadobashful or ashamed
Swedish skamsen
  • skamsenbashful or ashamed
Cite this entry
APA

shamefaced. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamefaced

MLA

“shamefaced.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamefaced. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shamefaced,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shamefaced.

Source: shamefaced on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.