shameless; disgraceful; infamous
Describes behavior or a person that lacks a sense of shame or decency; often used in strong moral condemnation.
Everyone was disgusted by his shameless behavior.
I've never heard of such a disgraceful incident.
破廉恥 emphasizes scandalous, morally outrageous shamelessness (often in legal or public-scandal contexts), whereas 無恥 is a broader, plainer term for lacking shame.
破廉恥 is a formal, literary term for shameless conduct, often used in writing, while 恥知らず is more direct and can describe a person outright.
Standard kanji spelling.
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
Compound of 破 (ha, 'break, destroy') and 廉恥 (renchi, 'sense of honor, shame'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a complete loss of moral decency.