shameful

adjective

shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl 

1

a

: bringing shame : disgraceful

b

: arousing the feeling of shame

2

archaic : full of the feeling of shame : ashamed

shamefully

ˈshām-fə-lē 

adverb

shamefulness noun

Synonyms of shameful

• notorious
• infamous
• shady
• immoral
• criminal
• disgraceful

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

Even local landmarks can have a part in shameful history, with de Courcy noting that Memorial Auditorium was a staging area for the shipment of Japanese American residents to internment camps for during World War II. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026

There is really a quite shameful history in Tennessee of executions going wrong, although Christa Pike's really stands out. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

But shaming someone, no matter how shameful their behavior may have been, isn’t the way to convince them to do better. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Finally, Ericka has a shameful secret of her own, one that Paulina is determined to use against her. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

shameful

adjective

shame·​ful ˈshām-fəl 

1

: bringing shame

shameful behavior

2

: arousing the feeling of shame

a shameful sight

shamefully

-fə-lē 

adverb

shamefulness

-fəl-nəs

noun