shamefaced
pronunciation
How to pronounce shamefaced in British English:
UK [ˌʃeɪmˈfeɪst]
How to pronounce shamefaced in American English:
US [ˈʃemˌfest]
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- Adjective:
- extremely modest or shy
- showing a sense of shame
- showing a sense of guilt
Word Origin
- shamefaced (adj.)
- "modest, bashful," 1550s, folk etymology alteration of shamefast, from Old English scamfæst "bashful," literally "restrained by shame," or else "firm in modesty," from shame (n.) + -fæst, adjectival suffix (see fast (adj.)). Related: Shamefacedly; shamefacedness. shamefaced, -fast. It is true that the second is the original form, that -faced is due to a mistake, & that the notion attached to the word is necessarily affected in some slight degree by the change. But those who, in the flush of this discovery, would revert to -fast in ordinary use are rightly rewarded with the name of pedants .... [Fowler]
Example
- 1. Mr brown might feel particularly shamefaced .
- 2. Henry stared at howard with a slightly shamefaced look .
- 3. He looked somewhat shamefaced when he realized his mistake .
- 4. Do not be so shamefaced . You 'll do it very well .
- 5. Two shamefaced children came to apologize for kicking their ball into my garden and damaging my flowers .