disgrace and shame share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. disgrace means “bring shame or dishonor upon”. shame means “bring shame or dishonor upon”. shame is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪsˈɡɹeɪs/
1.v.bring shame or dishonor upon
“he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime”
2.v.reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
“She tends to put down younger women colleagues”
3.v.damage the reputation of
“This newspaper story discredits the politicians”
/ˈʃeɪm/
1.v.bring shame or dishonor upon
“he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime”
2.v.compel through a sense of shame
“She shamed him into making amends”
3.v.cause to be ashamed
| disgrace | shame | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪsˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈʃeɪm/ |
| Said | dis-GRAYS | shaym |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 8 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 7 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | dishonor, dishonour, attaint | dishonor, disgrace, dishonour |
Full entry for disgrace · Full entry for shame · More comparisons