English · Word Candidate

shame

/ˈʃeɪ̯m/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: shames · shaming · shamed

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

cảm giác khó chịu khi nhận ra sự không đúng đắn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

When I realized that I had hurt my friend, I felt deep shame.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Something to regret.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

điều đáng hối tiếc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

It was a shame not to see the show after driving all that way.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

lời quở trách

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Interjection

Examples

Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Embarrassed and shy, particularly because one is the subject of attention.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

lúng túng và rụt rè

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

She says that she doesn't touch them, this is important, sometimes maybe a handshake may make them more shame, that is shy or embarrassed.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “shame” mean?

An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.

Is “shame” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.