What is ashamed? Pronunciation and usage in English

Let's break down how to use the word "ashamed" effectively in English. It's a powerful word that conveys a strong feeling of regret and embarrassment. Here's a comprehensive guide:

1. Core Meaning:

• Ashamed means feeling guilt, embarrassment, or disgrace because of something you have done or something that has happened to you. It's a feeling of wanting to hide or be unseen due to a perceived wrongdoing.

2. Grammatical Structure:

• Adjective: “He was ashamed.” (Describes a state of being – he felt ashamed)
• Verb: “He ashamed himself.” (Describes an action – he did something that made him feel ashamed)

3. Common Uses and Examples:

• For Actions: This is the most frequent use.

  • “I was ashamed of my behavior at the party.” (Referring to a specific action - being rude.)
  • “He was ashamed to admit he’d made a mistake.” (Referring to revealing a fault.)
  • "She felt ashamed after breaking her grandmother’s vase." (A clear cause-and-effect relationship.)

• For Circumstances (Feeling Shame About Something External):

  • “She was ashamed of the poverty in her village.” (Feeling shame about a wider situation.)
  • “I felt ashamed when I heard about the scandal.” (Shame connected to news or events)

• With "of": This is the most common construction. "Ashamed of..."

  • “He's ashamed of his past.”
  • “She was ashamed of her weakness.”

• With "to": This describes feeling shame about doing something.

  • "He was ashamed to tell the truth." (He felt shame about being honest.)
  • "I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t study for the test." (Shame about not doing something.)

4. Related Words and Phrases:

• Embarrassed: Similar to ashamed, but often less intense and more situational. Embarrassment is usually a brief feeling, while shame can be deeper and longer-lasting.
• Guilty: Focuses on feeling responsible for a wrongdoing. “I felt guilty about lying.”
• Regretful: Feeling sadness about something that has happened. “I'm regretful that I missed the deadline.”
• Humiliated: Feeling deeply embarrassed and degraded.
• Mortified: Extremely embarrassed; often to the point of feeling physically uncomfortable.

5. Nuances & Intensity:

• Mild Shame: "He felt a little ashamed of spilling his coffee." (A small, easily forgiven mistake.)
• Deep Shame: "She was consumed by shame after the incident." (A profound feeling that can affect self-esteem.)

6. Examples in Sentences (Varied Usage):

• “After lying to his friends, he was ashamed of himself.”
• “The townspeople were ashamed of the flooding that had damaged their homes.”
• “She was ashamed to ask for help, fearing it would make her look incompetent.”
• “He felt ashamed of his drinking problem and committed to seeking treatment.”

7. Tips for Using It Correctly:

• Specificity: Try to be specific about what you are ashamed of. Vague statements like “I’m ashamed” can sound weak.
• Context is key: The overall tone and situation will influence how "ashamed" is perceived.

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To help me give you even more tailored advice, could you tell me:

• What are you trying to do with the word "ashamed"? (e.g., write a story, have a conversation, analyze a passage of text?)
• Can you give me an example sentence where you’re considering using "ashamed"?