A formal or literary noun for the feeling of embarrassment, self-consciousness, or shame. Often used in compound expressions like 羞恥心 (sense of shame).
He turned bright red from sheer embarrassment.
A sense of shame is essential for social life.
sense of shame; shyness
secondhand embarrassment; vicarious embarrassment
erotic humiliation; sexual humiliation
A Sino-Japanese compound of 羞 (shame, embarrassment) and 恥 (shame, disgrace). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination reinforces the meaning of shame or bashfulness.