shamefaced.

Looking or acting embarrassed because you feel ashamed of something.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• shamefaced apology
• shamefaced expression

On the page

He returned the borrowed book with a shamefaced apology for the coffee stain.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: Comparative more shamefaced; superlative most shamefaced when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.