1
a
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
She felt ashamed for hitting her brother.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Losing is nothing to be ashamed of.
He was deeply ashamed of his behavior.
b
: feeling inferior or unworthy
2
: reluctant or unwilling to do something because of shame or embarrassment
I was ashamed to be seen with him.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't know the answer.
Examples of ashamed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet none of the people who had new hates felt remotely ashamed.
—
Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
With your silly smirks your mothers would be ashamed of?
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Baltimore’s leaders should be ashamed of the state of downtown, especially the Charles L. Benton Building, the Abel Wolman Municipal Building and City Hall.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2025
Talk to other women, research, and don't feel ashamed.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ashamed 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
With your silly smirks your mothers would be ashamed of?
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2025
Baltimore’s leaders should be ashamed of the state of downtown, especially the Charles L. Benton Building, the Abel Wolman Municipal Building and City Hall.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2025
Talk to other women, research, and don't feel ashamed.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ashamed
Dictionary Entries Near ashamed
Cite this Entry
“Ashamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashamed. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ashamed
adjective1
: feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
ashamed of my behavior
2
: kept from doing something by an expectation of shame
ashamed to beg
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share