Indicative of shame; ashamed: a shamefaced explanation.
Extremely modest or shy; bashful.
[By folk etymology from obsolete shamefast, bashful, ashamed, from Middle English, from Old English sceamfæst : sceamu, shame + fæst, fixed; see fast1.] shame'fac'ed·ly (-fā'sĭd-lē) adv., shame'fac'ed·ness n.