shame
UK[ʃeɪm]US[ʃeɪm]
n
The uncomfortable feeling of guilt, embarrassment, or humiliation that you get when you know you have done something wrong or foolish.
n
The loss of respect or honour; disgrace.
v
To make someone feel ashamed.
v
To cause someone or something to lose honour or respect by your actions.
Etymology
The word 'shame' has a deep Germanic heritage, tracing back to the Proto-Germanic root skamo, which carried the sense of covering or concealing oneself, both physically and emotionally. This root is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European (s)kem-, meaning 'to cover'. The conceptual link is clear: the feeling of shame instinctively makes one wish to hide or cover one's face. This ancient connection between covering and disgrace evolved through Old English 'scamu' into the modern abstract noun and verb, encapsulating both the internal emotion and the social condition of dishonour.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It originates from the Old English noun 'scamu' and verb 'scamian', meaning a sense of shame, disgrace, or dishonour.
Examples
She felt a deep sense of shame after lying to her friend.
His actions brought shame upon the entire family.
They were shamed into apologizing for their rude behavior.