One entry found for shamefaced.

Main Entry: shame·faced
Pronunciation: shm-fst
Function: adjective
Etymology: an altered form of earlier shamefast, from Old English scamfæst "bound by shame, bashful," from scamu "shame" and fæst "fixed, fast"
1 : showing modesty : BASHFUL
2 : showing shame : ASHAMED
- shame·faced·ly /-f-sd-l, -fst-l/ adverb
- shame·faced·ness /-f-sd-ns, -fs(t)-ns/ noun
Word History The Old English word scamfæst was formed by a combination of the noun scamu, meaning "shame," and the adjective fæst, meaning "firmly fixed or bound, fast." The meaning of scamfæst was "bound by shame" or, more simply, "bashful." Over the course of many years, Old English scamfæst was changed to modern English shamefaced. The change from -fæst to -faced occurred because many people misunderstood -fæst. They substituted a more familiar word for one they did not know. The belief that bashfulness shows in a person's face probably also influenced the change.