shameful
UK: ˈʃeɪmfl | US: ˈʃeɪmfl
adj. causing or deserving shame; disgraceful
adj. feeling or showing shame; ashamed
shameful = shame<disgrace> + ful<full of>
- shame: From Old English scamu, meaning "disgrace, dishonor," related to the feeling of guilt or humiliation.
- ful: A suffix from Old English -ful, meaning "full of" or "characterized by."
Etymology Origin:
The word shameful combines shame, rooted in Old English scamu, with the suffix -ful, which intensifies the meaning to "full of shame." This construction follows a common pattern in English where adjectives are formed by adding -ful to nouns, conveying a strong association with the root concept. Over time, shameful evolved to describe both actions that provoke shame and the emotional state of feeling ashamed.
His shameful behavior at the party embarrassed everyone.
She felt shameful after lying to her friend.
The company’s shameful practices were exposed by the media.
It’s shameful how little they pay their workers.
He gave her a shameful glance, knowing he had failed her.