Feeling ashamed can be challenging, and expressing this emotion accurately is important. Idioms provide a colorful way to convey the sense of shame in various situations. Here are 20 idioms that describe shame, complete with their meanings and example sentences.
1. Hang One’s Head
Meaning: Feel ashamed
Example: He hung his head in shame after forgetting his friend’s birthday.
2. Eat Humble Pie
Meaning: Apologize and face humiliation
Example: After his mistake, he had to eat humble pie and apologize to everyone.
3. Lose Face
Meaning: Suffer a loss of respect
Example: She didn’t want to lose face in front of her colleagues.
4. Egg on One’s Face
Meaning: Appear foolish
Example: He had egg on his face after his wrong prediction.
5. Ashamed of Oneself
Meaning: Feel deep regret
Example: She was ashamed of herself for lying.
6. Red-Faced
Meaning: Blushing from shame
Example: He was red-faced when he realized his mistake.
7. Swallow One’s Pride
Meaning: Admit wrongdoing
Example: She had to swallow her pride and ask for help.
8. Bite the Bullet
Meaning: Endure a painful situation
Example: He bit the bullet and apologized for his behavior.
9. Come Down a Peg
Meaning: Lower one’s dignity
Example: His arrogant attitude came down a peg after his failure.
10. Hide One’s Face
Meaning: Feel deeply embarrassed
Example: She wanted to hide her face after the embarrassing incident.
11. Face the Music
Meaning: Accept consequences
Example: He had to face the music for breaking the rules.
12. Lower One’s Head
Meaning: Show regret
Example: She lowered her head when confronted with the truth.
13. Bow and Scrape
Meaning: Show excessive deference
Example: He had to bow and scrape to win back their trust.
14. Out on a Limb
Meaning: Risk embarrassment
Example: She went out on a limb with her bold statement.
15. Bend Over Backwards
Meaning: Try hard to please
Example: He bent over backwards to make up for his mistake.
16. Grovel
Meaning: Beg for forgiveness
Example: He had to grovel to get back in their good graces.
17. Humble Pie
Meaning: Admit one’s error
Example: He had to eat humble pie after his boastful claims were disproven.
18. Down in the Dumps
Meaning: Feeling very low
Example: She was down in the dumps after her public blunder.
19. Eat Crow
Meaning: Admit wrong and apologize
Example: He had to eat crow after the project failed.
20. Show One’s True Colors
Meaning: Reveal one’s shameful side
Example: His true colors showed when he was caught cheating.
