Definition of shamefaced

shamefacedadjective

xấu hổ

/ˌʃeɪmˈfeɪst//ˌʃeɪmˈfeɪst/

The word is a compound, composed of "shame" and "faced." Originally, "faced" meant "present" or "visible," in reference to the expression on a person's face. In the case of "shamefaced," the word is used figuratively to describe a person's facial expression in response to feelings of shame. Hence, someone who is "shamefaced" looks ashamed or embarrassed, with guilt written all over their face. The Old English word for "shame," "syð," is believed to have introduced the idea of a deep, profound sense of guilt, as it shares roots with modern English words such as "suitable," "asyde," and "assiduous." The Old English word "fæces" (pronounced "fáce"), which meant "face," evolved into Middle English, where it was spelled as "facet" (pronounced "fáceet"). The meaning morphed into the Old French term "faces" (pronounced "fáacēz"), which meant "present" or "existing" in reference to a person's facial expression. The Middle English word spelled "shamfast" eventually evolved into modern English "shamefaced." It originally had the inflection "shamfastes," with "-es" and "-tes" (pronounced "shámefastēas") added to indicate the plural form. However, by Middle English times, the inflection changed to "-en," resulting in "shamftemen" (pronounced "shámeftēmen"), meaning "plural of shamefaced people." Over time, English fell out of fashion, and many such obsolete inflections fell into disuse. It is currently a single word without inflectional endings and takes the plural "-s" by adding it separately.

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Example:
  • After being caught in a lie, Sarah slumped down in her chair with a shamefaced expression.

    Sau khi bị phát hiện nói dối, Sarah ngồi thụp xuống ghế với vẻ mặt xấu hổ.

  • The thief looking back at the security camera felt shamefaced as he realized he had been caught red-handed.

    Tên trộm nhìn lại camera an ninh và cảm thấy xấu hổ khi nhận ra mình đã bị bắt quả tang.

  • During the job interview, Mark's embarrassment turned his face a deep shade of red, and he seemed almost shamefaced as he fumbled with his words.

    Trong buổi phỏng vấn xin việc, sự bối rối của Mark khiến khuôn mặt anh đỏ bừng, và anh có vẻ gần như xấu hổ khi nói năng lắp bắp.

  • After forgetting his girlfriend's birthday, Tom hung his head in shamefaced contrition as he tried to make it up to her.

    Sau khi quên mất sinh nhật bạn gái, Tom cúi đầu ăn năn trong sự xấu hổ khi anh cố gắng chuộc lỗi với cô.

  • As the student raised their hand to admit their mistake in class, their face turned shamefaced, and they could hardly look their teacher in the eye.

    Khi học sinh giơ tay thừa nhận lỗi của mình trong lớp, khuôn mặt của họ trở nên xấu hổ và họ hầu như không thể nhìn vào mắt giáo viên.

  • The athlete's head drooped in shamefacedness as they were disqualified from the competition due to breaking the rules.

    Các vận động viên cúi đầu xấu hổ khi bị loại khỏi cuộc thi vì vi phạm quy định.

  • After accidentally spilling coffee on the person sitting beside them, Anne's cheeks turned red, and she seemed almost ashamed as she tried to apologize.

    Sau khi vô tình làm đổ cà phê lên người ngồi cạnh, má Anne đỏ bừng, và cô ấy có vẻ gần như xấu hổ khi cố gắng xin lỗi.

  • During the public speaking event, Emily's stumbling words and fidgety body language left her looking almost shamefaced as she tried to gain confidence.

    Trong sự kiện diễn thuyết trước công chúng, lời nói lắp bắp và ngôn ngữ cơ thể bồn chồn của Emily khiến cô trông gần như xấu hổ khi cố gắng lấy lại sự tự tin.

  • The speaker's eyes dropped to the ground as they admitted their wrongdoing, looking shamefaced and contrite.

    Ánh mắt của người nói nhìn xuống đất khi họ thừa nhận hành vi sai trái của mình, trông có vẻ xấu hổ và ăn năn.

  • As the student was asked to leave the classroom due to excessive bad behavior, their entire demeanor seemed filled with shamefaced remorse.

    Khi học sinh bị yêu cầu rời khỏi lớp học vì hành vi quá xấu, toàn bộ thái độ của các em dường như tràn ngập sự hối hận và xấu hổ.

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