shameful

S1H4A1M3E1F4U1L1
/ˈʃeɪmfəl/

adjective

Causing or meriting shame or disgrace; disgraceful

“a shameful act”

Similar
despicableblackdisgracefulignominiousingloriousopprobriousdishonorabledishonourable
OriginMiddle English schameful ← Old English sċeomfull ← Proto-Germanic *fullaz →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectiveshameful (comparative more shameful, superlative most shameful)

comparative more shameful · superlative most shameful

  1. Causing or meriting shame or disgrace; disgraceful

    a shameful act

    2 more examples

    shameful publicity

    "They have turned a great old English institution into a shameful clip-joint. It's a shuddering, howling tragedy."

    2009 February 19, Gareth Lewis, Southern Daily Echo
  2. Giving offense.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
despicable

adjective(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame

Similar
blackdisgracefulignominiousingloriousopprobriousdishonorabledishonourable

adjectivegiving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation

Similar
disgracefulscandalousshockingimmoral
Also see
blackdisgracefulembarrassingfoulgrossignobleignominiousimmoralingloriousopprobriouspatheticscandalousshockingunglorious

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*skamō
  2. Proto-West Germanic*skamu
  3. Old Englishsċamu
  4. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₁nós
  6. Proto-Germanic*fullaz
  7. Old Englishsċeomfull
  8. Middle Englishschameful
  9. Englishshameful

From Middle English schameful, schamfull, from Old English *sċeamfull, sċeomfull, equivalent to shame + -ful. Cognate with Danish skamfuld (“shameful, shamefast, ashamed”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek αἰσχρός, ἀεικής
  • αἰσχρός (aiskhrós)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • ἀεικής (aeikḗs)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Bulgarian срамен, позорен
  • срамен (sramen)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • позорен (pozoren)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Catalan vergonyós, escadalós
  • vergonyóscausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • escadalóscausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Chinese Mandarin 可恥 /可耻
  • 可恥 /可耻 (kěchǐ)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Czech hanebný, ostudný
  • hanebnýcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • ostudnýcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Dutch beschamend
  • beschamendcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Finnish häpeällinen
  • häpeällinencausing or meriting shame or disgrace
French honteux, scandaleux
  • honteuxcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • scandaleuxcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
German schandbar, beschämend
  • schandbarcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • beschämendcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • blamabelcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • peinlichcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Greek αισχυντηλός, ντροπιαστικός
  • αισχυντηλός (aischyntilós)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • ντροπιαστικός (ntropiastikós)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Hindi लज्जाजनक
  • लज्जाजनक (lajjājnak)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Hungarian szégyenletes
  • szégyenletescausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Irish náireach, náiriúil
  • náireachcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • náiriúilcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • adhnáireachcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • aithiseachcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Italian vergognoso
  • vergognosocausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Japanese 恥ずべき
  • 恥ずべき (hazubeki)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Latin pudibundus, dēfōrmis
  • pudibunduscausing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • dēfōrmiscausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Norwegian skamfull
  • skamfullcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Polish haniebny
  • haniebnycausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Portuguese vergonhoso
  • vergonhosocausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Romanian rușinos
  • rușinoscausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Russian позо́рный, посты́дный
  • позо́рный (pozórnyj)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • посты́дный (postýdnyj)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Scottish Gaelic nàr
  • nàrcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Spanish vergonzoso
  • vergonzosocausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Swedish skamlig
  • skamligcausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Ukrainian стидни́й, соро́мний
  • стидни́й (stydnýj)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • соро́мний (sorómnyj)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
  • соромі́тний (soromítnyj)causing or meriting shame or disgrace
Vietnamese hổ thẹn
  • hổ thẹncausing or meriting shame or disgrace
Cite this entry
APA

shameful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shameful

MLA

“shameful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shameful. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shameful,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shameful.

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