shame
shame — 名詞
1. a situation, event, or fact that makes you feel sad or disappointed because it i
可惜；遺憾
令人失望或不如意的情況
a situation, event, or fact that makes you feel sad or disappointed because it is not as good as it should be or could have been
It's a real shame that Feng could not come to the party tonight.
Feng 今晚不能來參加派對，真是可惜。
a shame + that-clause
What a shame that the old library was closed down last year.
那間老圖書館去年關閉了，真是可惜。
What a shame
It would be a shame to waste all this delicious food that Sana prepared.
Sana 準備了這麼多美味的食物，浪費掉就太可惜了。
Sivan missed the last train home. "What a shame!" her roommate said when she heard the news.
Sivan 錯過了最後一班火車回家。室友聽到後說：「真可惜！」
- pity
softer, less intense than 'a shame'; very common in everyday conversation
- disappointment
focuses on the let-down feeling rather than the unfortunate circumstance itself
文法句型
it's a shame + that-clause
what a shame
a shame + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Unlike other senses of shame, this sense is always used with the indefinite article 'a': it's a shame / what a shame.
常見錯誤
2. the painful emotion that arises inside you after doing something wrong, embarras
羞愧；慚愧
因做錯事而感到的難受
the painful emotion that arises inside you after doing something wrong, embarrassing, or inappropriate
Tariq felt a deep sense of shame after lying to his mother about the missing money.
Tariq 對母親說了謊之後，心裡充滿了深深的羞愧。
sense of shame
Renata hung her head in shame when the teacher announced that she had cheated on the test.
老師宣布 Renata 考試作弊時，她羞愧地低下了頭。
in shame — describes how someone physically shows shame
The celebrity seemed to have no shame at all when the embarrassing photos appeared online.
那位名人對於網路上出現的難堪照片似乎完全不知羞恥。
Christopher blushed with shame when he realised he had accidentally sent the message to the wrong person.
Christopher 發現自己不小心把訊息發錯人時，羞愧得臉都紅了。
- guilt
focuses on wrongdoing itself rather than the social embarrassment aspect of shame
- embarrassment
lighter in intensity; about awkwardness rather than moral failure
- remorse
stronger, more formal; focuses on regret for harming someone
文法句型
feel shame
sense of shame
with shame
in shame
no shame
用法筆記
Commonly follows prepositions 'with', 'in', or 'out of' (e.g., 'with shame', 'out of shame'). 'Shame' in this sense is uncountable and never takes 'a'.
常見錯誤
3. the condition of losing the good opinion that others had of you because of somet
恥辱
因不當行為失去他人尊重
the condition of losing the good opinion that others had of you because of something wrong or unacceptable that you did, or because of something done by someone connected to you
The corruption scandal brought shame on the entire government department.
這起貪腐醜聞讓整個政府部門蒙羞。
bring shame on [group/people]
Gabriel chose to resign quietly rather than face the shame of being publicly dismissed from his job.
Gabriel 寧可低調辭職，也不願面對被公開開除的恥辱。
There is no shame in asking for help when you are struggling with your mental health.
當你在心理健康方面遇到困難時，尋求幫助並沒有什麼可恥的。
The family felt the shame of their son's criminal actions for many years afterwards.
那個家庭多年來都因兒子的犯罪行為而感到恥辱。
文法句型
bring shame on/upon + noun
shame + of + gerund
no shame in + gerund
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 2: Sense 2 describes an internal emotion (feeling ashamed), while Sense 3 describes a social condition (being disgraced in the eyes of others). 'Bring shame on' is a fixed collocation that belongs to this sense.
常見錯誤
4. used in the phrase 'put someone to shame', meaning to cause a person to experien
使人羞愧
用固定片語 put to shame
used in the phrase 'put someone to shame', meaning to cause a person to experience embarrassment or discomfort by showing that their behaviour is wrong or that your own standard is higher than theirs
Anong's kindness put her colleagues who never volunteered to shame.
Anong 的善良讓那些從不當志工的同事相形見絀。
put [person] to shame — showing a higher standard
The documentary put the government's lack of action on climate change to shame.
那部紀錄片讓政府氣候變遷方面的消極作為顯得很難堪。
The little boy's honest answer put the adults who had been making up excuses to shame.
那個小男孩誠實的回答，讓那些找藉口的大人感到羞愧。
Seeing how hard Kwame trained put my own lazy habits to shame.
看到 Kwame 訓練得那麼認真，我為自己的懶惰習慣感到羞愧。
文法句型
put [someone/something] to shame
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the fixed expression 'put to shame'. The verb 'put' changes form with the subject (puts/put/will put etc.), but 'to shame' remains fixed.
5. used in the expression 'shame to say' or 'ashamed to admit', when you feel embar
不好意思說
感到難為情而難以啟齒
used in the expression 'shame to say' or 'ashamed to admit', when you feel embarrassed about admitting something, especially a personal weakness or failure
I shame to say that I still have not read a single book by our country's most famous author.
說來慚愧，我們國家最知名作家的作品我到現在連一本都沒讀過。
shame to say + that-clause
Lan is ashamed to admit that she was responsible for the mistake that cost the company the contract.
Lan 不好意思承認，那個讓公司丟掉合約的錯誤是她造成的。
ashamed to admit + that-clause
To my shame, I forgot to send my grandmother a birthday card last week.
說來慚愧，上星期我忘記寄生日卡給奶奶了。
I am ashamed to admit that I still get nervous before giving a short speech.
我不好意思承認，我到現在在眾人面前說話還是會緊張。
文法句型
be ashamed to say/admit/confess
shame to say
用法筆記
The expression 'shame to say' (without a verb) is slightly old-fashioned or formal. The more common modern pattern is 'ashamed to say/admit'. This sense is always in the first or second person.
6. used when speaking firmly to someone to say that their action was wrong and they
真丟臉
直接指責對方應感到羞愧
used when speaking firmly to someone to say that their action was wrong and they ought to regret it, showing that you strongly disapprove of what they did
Shame on you for making fun of a classmate who was trying his best.
你取笑一個已經很努力的同學，真丟臉。
shame on you for + gerund
Shame on the company for refusing to pay its workers a fair wage.
這家公司拒絕支付員工合理的薪資，真是可恥。
shame on [someone] — extending to non-personal subjects
Mira's grandmother told her, "Shame on you!" when she realised Mira had taken money from her purse without asking.
Mira 的奶奶發現 Mira 沒經過允許就從錢包拿錢時，對她說：「真丟臉！」
Shame on those who spread lies about their colleagues during the election campaign.
那些在選舉期間散佈關於同事的謊言的人，真丟臉。
文法句型
shame on + pronoun/noun
用法筆記
This expression is quite strong and direct. It is used when the speaker feels morally superior or disappointed. It can be addressed to a specific person ('Shame on you') or a group/institution ('Shame on the council').
7. used in the phrase 'put something to shame', meaning to be so much better or mor
相形見絀
因另一事物好太多而顯得遜色
used in the phrase 'put something to shame', meaning to be so much better or more impressive that the other thing seems bad or low-quality by comparison
The quality of the food at the small street stall put the expensive restaurant's dishes to shame.
那家路邊小攤的餐點品質讓高級餐廳的菜餚相形見絀。
put [something] to shame — comparison of quality
Élise's garden, with its beautiful flowers and careful design, put all the neighbours' gardens to shame.
Élise 的花園裡花朵美麗、設計精巧，讓鄰居們的花園都相形見絀。
The young painter's first exhibition put the work of several famous artists to shame.
那位年輕畫家的首次展覽讓幾位知名藝術家的作品都相形見絀。
Niran's homemade bread put the supermarket loaves to shame.
Niran 自製的麵包讓超市賣的土司相形見絀。
文法句型
put [something/someone] to shame
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 4: Sense 4 focuses on making someone feel embarrassment for their behaviour; Sense 7 focuses on one thing being objectively better than another. In Sense 7, the subject is typically a thing (product, performance, achievement), not a person's action.
shame — 動詞
1. to cause someone to experience the painful feeling of having done something wron
使蒙羞
使某人或某群體失去尊嚴
to cause someone to experience the painful feeling of having done something wrong, or to damage the good reputation that a person or group had
The player's violent behaviour on the field shamed his entire team and disappointed the fans.
那名球員在球場上的暴力行為讓整個球隊蒙羞，也讓球迷們感到失望。
The politician was publicly shamed when news of the secret payments was revealed.
祕密付款的消息曝光後，那名政治人物公開蒙羞。
passive: be publicly shamed
Stephanie felt that her brother's rude comments had shamed the whole family at the dinner table.
Stephanie 覺得弟弟在晚餐桌上的無禮發言讓全家人都丟了臉。
The dictator's cruelty shamed the nation in front of the whole world.
獨裁者的殘酷行為讓整個國家在世界面前蒙羞。
- honour
to give respect and public recognition
文法句型
shame + person
be shamed by + agent
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice, especially in news contexts ('The CEO was shamed by the leak'). The active voice is more direct and personal ('You have shamed us all').
2. to name a person or organization in public because of their wrongdoing, often on
公開譴責
在網路上公開批評不當行為
to name a person or organization in public because of their wrongdoing, often on social media, as a way of making others aware and pushing them to change
The campaign website names and shames companies that pay their employees unfairly.
這個活動網站公開點名批評那些不公平支付員工薪資的公司。
name and shame — a fixed phrase for public criticism
Kian was publicly shamed online after an old insensitive post from his social media account was shared widely.
Kian 多年前在社群媒體上發的一則不當貼文被大量轉傳後，他在網路上遭到公開羞辱。
Some activists shame people who do not recycle by posting photos of their rubbish on social media.
有些社運人士把不回收垃圾的人的照片貼在社群媒體上，公開指責他們。
The newspaper shamed the local restaurant for using dirty cooking oil.
那家報紙公開譴責當地餐廳使用骯髒的食用油。
文法句型
name and shame
shame + person + for + gerund
用法筆記
This sense has become very common with the rise of social media, often referred to as 'public shaming'. 'Name and shame' is a fixed expression used by authorities and campaign groups. This sense is not about the internal feeling of guilt but about the act of exposing wrongdoing publicly.
3. to make someone feel so uncomfortable about their current way of behaving that t
使羞愧而…
利用羞愧感促使某人做某事
to make someone feel so uncomfortable about their current way of behaving that they decide to change what they are doing or take a different course of action
The newspaper article shamed the local council into fixing the broken playground equipment.
那篇報紙文章讓地方議會感到羞愧，終於修好了那座壞掉的遊樂場設施。
shame [someone] into [doing something]
Kwame's teammates shamed him out of quitting by reminding him the team needed him.
Kwame 的隊友提醒他球隊需要他，讓他不好意思退出。
shame [someone] out of [doing something]
The teacher shamed the students into finishing their homework by praising a harder-working class.
老師誇獎另一個更用功的班級，讓學生們羞愧地把作業完成了。
Photos of sick animals shamed Madison into donating money to the wildlife shelter.
看到生病動物的照片讓 Madison 感到羞愧，於是捐了錢給野生動物收容所。
文法句型
shame + person + into + gerund
shame + person + out of + gerund
用法筆記
Always followed by 'into' or 'out of' + gerund. The pattern 'shame someone into doing something' is much more common than 'shame someone out of doing something'. The subject is often an event, article, or social pressure rather than a person acting deliberately.
常見錯誤
4. to clearly outperform another person or thing in skill, quality, or achievement,
遠勝於
表現出色使其他事物相形失色
to clearly outperform another person or thing in skill, quality, or achievement, making them seem far less impressive by comparison
The student's first novel shamed the work of many professional writers who had been publishing for years.
那名學生的第一本小說讓許多出版多年的專業作家相形失色。
Sora's performance at the competition shamed all the other dancers with its energy and creativity.
Sora 在比賽中的表演充滿活力與創意，讓其他舞者都黯然失色。
shame + person + with + noun — showing the basis of comparison
The small local bakery's bread shamed the mass-produced loaves from the big supermarket.
當地小麵包店的麵包讓大超市大量生產的土司相形失色。
Talia's cooking skills shamed everyone else's attempts at making traditional dishes.
Talia 的廚藝讓其他人做的傳統菜餚相形失色。
文法句型
shame + noun + by + gerund
shame + noun
用法筆記
This sense is less common in everyday speech. It overlaps with the noun phrase 'put to shame' (noun Sense 7) but uses the verb directly. The comparison is always one-sided: the subject is clearly superior.
shame — 感嘆詞
1. a word shouted in a meeting, parliament, or public event to show that you strong
真可恥！
在公開場合喝倒彩的表達
a word shouted in a meeting, parliament, or public event to show that you strongly disagree with or disapprove of what a speaker is saying
When the minister defended the new tax, several members of the audience called out 'Shame!' from the gallery.
當部長為新稅制辯護時，幾位聽眾從旁聽席高喊「真可恥！」。
interjection: shouted in a public meeting
A cry of 'Shame!' rose from the crowd when the politician avoided the question about public spending.
當政治人物迴避關於公共支出的問題時，群眾中傳來一陣「真可恥！」的呼喊聲。
When the chairman made a joke about the budget cuts, several councillors shouted 'Shame!' in protest.
當主席拿預算刪減來開玩笑時，幾位議員抗議地大喊「真可恥！」。
Members of the audience cried 'Shame!' as the CEO defended the factory closures during the meeting.
當執行長在會議中為關閉工廠辯護時，聽眾中有人大聲喊「真可恥！」。
用法筆記
This use is primarily British and somewhat old-fashioned. In modern contexts, people are more likely to boo or heckle than to shout 'Shame!'. It is used by an audience to express collective disapproval, not by one person in private conversation.