深惭 is a formal, literary adjective meaning 'deeply ashamed'—conveying profound moral or emotional regret, often in response to one's own failure, wrongdoing, or unworthiness. The first character, 深 (shēn), means 'deep' and intensifies the degree; the second, 惭 (cán), means 'ashamed' or 'remorseful', rooted in Confucian ethical self-reflection. Together, they form a compact, elevated expression rarely used in casual speech but common in classical texts, formal essays, speeches, or solemn personal reflections.

This term carries strong connotations of humility and conscience—it implies not just embarrassment, but a sincere, inward-facing reckoning with one’s conduct or limitations. It frequently appears after verbs like 'feel', 'be', or 'stand', and is often followed by clauses explaining the cause of shame (e.g., 'for failing my teacher'). While grammatically adjectival, it functions predicatively or attributively in written contexts, never as a standalone noun or verb.