As a noun, it is a painful feeling of guilt, embarrassment, or humiliation about something wrong or foolish. As a verb, it means to make someone feel this way, often by criticizing them publicly.
From Old English 'scamu' or 'sceamu' meaning 'disgrace, loss of esteem', related to German 'Scham'. It goes back to an ancient root about covering or hiding, linked to the desire to hide when embarrassed.
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