What does shaming mean?
Shaming means causing someone to feel ashamed, usually through humiliation, ridicule, or the exposure of something embarrassing. The word can describe a deliberate act aimed at making a person lose dignity or confidence, such as public shaming, and it often carries a stronger implication than simply embarrassing or criticizing someone. In everyday use, shaming can refer to conduct that enforces social expectations through pressure or punishment. It may also be used as a noun for the act itself. Because the word can describe both private emotional experience and public displays of disgrace, it is associated with issues of dignity, respect, bullying, and social responsibility.
To cause someone to feel shame or lose self-respect, especially through humiliation or public ridicule.
"The article criticized the practice of shaming people over their appearance."
Often implies intentional humiliation or the use of shame as social pressure.
An act or instance of causing someone to feel ashamed or humiliated.
"The refusal to speak was widely viewed as a form of shaming."
As a noun, it is less common than the verb and is especially associated with deliberate or public acts.
The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon; singular usage is normally preferred.
"Public shamings have become a familiar feature of online arguments."
Shaming is not merely embarrassing someone; it is the deliberate use of shame as a form of pressure or punishment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shaming come from?
The word derives from the Old English word shama, meaning shame or disgrace, with the present participle ending -ing added in the modern period. Related English forms include shame, shameful, and ashamed, all of which share the same Germanic root. The verb's sense of causing someone to feel shame developed from the older idea of making a person feel ashamed or disgraced.
Related word forms
How shaming is actually used
The word often implies a deliberate or humiliating act, rather than ordinary embarrassment or criticism. It is used in both formal reporting and everyday speech, though public or online shaming may suggest a social or moral judgment.