ignominious
ig-nuh-MIN-ee-uhs
/ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs/
Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating.
Ignominious specifically describes events, defeats, or failures that bring deep personal or public humiliation.
The story behind the word. Ignominious comes from the Latin 'ignominia', which is formed from 'in-' (not) and 'nomen' (name). Literally, it means 'without a name' or having one's name stripped away due to dishonor.
Word relationships
- humiliating: Humiliating focuses on the personal feeling of shame, while ignominious emphasizes the public disgrace and loss of reputation.
- triumphant: Triumphant describes a glorious, successful, and highly celebrated outcome.
Commonly confused with
- shameful: Shameful refers to the moral quality of the act itself, while ignominious refers to the public disgrace and humiliation that follows.
Word family
- ignominy (noun): Public shame, disgrace, or dishonor.
Collocations
- ignominious defeat
- ignominious end
- ignominious failure
- ignominious retreat
Example sentences
- "The team's championship defense ended in an ignominious first-round defeat." A sports report on a major upset
- "He suffered an ignominious exit from politics after the scandal was exposed." A historical biography of a fallen leader
Memory hook
Think of 'ig-nomen-ious' as 'ignore the name' because the person has brought so much shame that their name is no longer spoken. Stripped of a good name.
When not to use
Do not use ignominious to describe a person directly as a character trait; it is almost always used to describe an action, defeat, or end (e.g., 'an ignominious defeat').
Fun facts
- In ancient Roman military practice, a soldier who showed cowardice could be ignominiously discharged, which meant his name was erased from the military rolls.
Related words
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