shameful

Shameful is an adjective used to describe actions, behavior, or circumstances that provoke feelings of shame or are considered morally discreditable. It conveys a normative judgment that someone has violated accepted standards of decency, propriety, or justice. The severity of the judgment can range from mild disapproval to strong condemnation, and the exact threshold depends on cultural, social, and historical context.

Originating from the noun shame, with the suffix -ful, shameful has been part of English since the Middle Ages. It is typically employed to criticize conduct, such as abuses, exploitation, dishonesty, or discrimination. In discourse, it can function as a rhetorical device to call for accountability, though overuse or moralizing can be perceived as judgmental or paternalistic.

Shameful contrasts with shameless, which denotes lack of guilt or embarrassment. Related terms include disgraceful, dishonorable, ignominious, and scandalous. Antonyms include honorable, respectable, praiseworthy, virtuous. The concept intersects with the idea of shame culture versus honor culture, and is sometimes involved in public shaming practices, or debates about shaming as a social tool.

See also: Shame, Shaming, Shame culture, Honor culture. Examples of usage include describing acts of exploitation or discrimination as shameful, signaling normative disapproval intended to spur accountability and reform.