indignity
noun
in·dig·ni·ty
in-ˈdig-nə-tē 
plural indignities
1
a
: an act or occurrence that offends against a person's dignity or self-respect : insult
… every little indignity that ever happened to them, and every two-bit feud, magnified …—
Wilfred Sheed
Wilfred Sheed
b
: humiliating treatment
… a buccal swab, which involves a brief and minimal intrusion … does not increase the indignity already attendant to normal incidents of arrest.—Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435 (2013)
Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435 (2013)2
obsolete
: lack or loss of dignity or honor
Examples of indignity in a Sentence
He remembers all the indignities he had to suffer in the early years of his career.
We must endure the indignities of growing old.
He suffered the indignity of being forced to leave the courtroom.
The indignity of it all was too much to bear.
Recent Examples on the Web
The next day, we are met with twin indignities, setting up for an après-ski party and the arrival of Sabrina in what might be her dumbest outfit yet.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 May 2026
Forcing them to relieve themselves without privacy is one more indignity.
—Michael Perkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
The women suffered the indignity of multiple interviews, intimate evidence gathering and skeptical lines of questioning from the police, among other things.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indignity
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Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 May 2026
Forcing them to relieve themselves without privacy is one more indignity.
—Michael Perkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
The women suffered the indignity of multiple interviews, intimate evidence gathering and skeptical lines of questioning from the police, among other things.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indignity
Cite this Entry
“Indignity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indignity. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
indignity
noun
in·dig·ni·ty
in-ˈdig-nət-ē
plural indignities
1
: an act that injures a person's dignity or self-respect : insult
2
: humiliating treatment
Legal Definition
indignity
noun
in·dig·ni·ty
in-ˈdig-nə-tē
plural indignities
: persistent and intolerable behavior toward a spouse especially as a manifestation of settled estrangement
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
