different between scorn vs shame

English

Etymology

Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-Germanic *skarnjan, which could be from *skeran? (“to shear”), or possibly related to *skarn? (“dung, filth”). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /sk??n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /sk??n/
• Rhymes: -??(r)n

Verb

scorn (third-person singular simple present scorns, present participle scorning, simple past and past participle scorned)

1. (transitive) To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
   • 1871, C. J. Smith, Synonyms Discriminated

     We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful.

2. (transitive) To reject, turn down.

3. (transitive) To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.

4. (intransitive) To scoff, to express contempt.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb which takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (to feel contempt): see also Thesaurus:despise
• (to scoff): deride, mock, ridicule, scoff, sneer

Translations

Noun

scorn (countable and uncountable, plural scorns)

1. (uncountable) Contempt or disdain.
2. (countable) A display of disdain; a slight.
   • 1685, John Dryden, The Despairing Lover

     Every sullen frown and bitter scorn / But fanned the fuel that too fast did burn.

3. (countable) An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.

   • Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Usage notes

• Scorn is often used in the phrases pour scorn on and heap scorn on.

Quotations

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:contempt

Derived terms

• scornful

Translations

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
• Roberts, Edward A. (2014) A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, ?ISBN

Anagrams

• Crons, corns

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?m/
• Rhymes: -e?m

Etymology 1

From Middle English schame, from Old English s?amu, from Proto-Germanic *skam?.

Noun

shame (usually uncountable, plural shames)

1. Uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.
2. Something to regret.
   • 1977, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Shame

     And what you do to me is a shame.
3. Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonour; ignominy; derision.

   • […] because ye haue borne the shame of the heathen,

   • 1813, Lord Byron, The Giaour

     And every woe a tear can claim / Except an erring sister's shame.

4. The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach and ignominy.

   • guides who are the shame of religion

5. That which is shameful and private, especially private parts.
   • 1611, KJV, Jubilees 3:22:

     And he took fig leaves and sewed them together and made an apron for himself. And he covered his shame.

   • 1991, Martha Graham, Blood Memory, Washington Square Press

     She turns to lift her robe, and lays it across her as though she were revealing her shame, as though she were naked.

Synonyms

• (uncomfortable or painful feeling): dishonor
• (something regrettable): dishonor, humiliation, mortification, pity
• See also: Thesaurus:shame

Antonyms

• (uncomfortable or painful feeling): honor

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

shame

1. A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.
   • 1982, "Telecommunications Bill", Hansard

     Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees about future pension arrangements."

     Mr. Charles R. Morris: Shame.

   • 1831, The Bristol Job Nott; or, Labouring Man's Friend

     [...] the Duke of Dorset charged in the list with "not known, but supposed forty thousand per year" (charitable supposition) had when formerly in office only about 3 or £4,000, and has not now, nor when the black list was printed, any office whatever — (Much tumult, and cries of "shame" and "doust the liars")

2. (South Africa) Expressing sympathy.

   Shame, you poor thing, you must be cold!

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle English schamen, from Old English s?amian, from Proto-West Germanic *skam?n, from Proto-Germanic *skam?n?.

Verb

shame (third-person singular simple present shames, present participle shaming, simple past and past participle shamed)

1. (transitive) To cause to feel shame.

   • Were there but one righteous in the world, he would […] shame the world, and not the world him.

2. To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace.
3. (transitive) To drive or compel by shame.

4. (obsolete, intransitive) To feel shame, be ashamed.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To mock at; to deride.

   • Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.

Synonyms

• (to cause to feel shame): demean, humiliate, insult, mortify

Antonyms

• (to cause to feel shame): honor, dignify

Derived terms

• ashamed
• beshame
• (sense: to cause to feel shame) creep-shame
• name and shame

Translations

References

• shame in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Hames, Shema, ahems, haems, hames, heams