infra dig

adjective

in·​fra dig ˈin-frə-ˈdig 

-(ˌ)frä-

: being beneath one's dignity : undignified

while his work … was financially profitable, it was just a bit infra dig

—John McCarten

Did you know?

In her autobiography, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." In other (less eloquent) words, don't put up with any treatment or situation that is unendurably infra dig. The word infra dig is used in relatively casual, sometimes sarcastic contexts (e.g., "Apparently, drugstore-purchased shampoo is too infra dig for my glamorous sister - only the most expensive salon shampoos will do!"). Infra dig is a shortened version of the Latin phrase infra dignitatem, meaning "beneath dignity."

Examples of infra dig in a Sentence

Isn't it a bit infra dig to go to a launderette when you can afford a washing machine of your own?

Recent Examples on the Web

But loving is nothing if not embarrassing, its expressions always a little infra dig. —Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2022

Its political religiosity has an infra dig appeal for Biden-Harris enthusiasts as well as leftist reviewers who typically apply political sentimentality to Communist-bloc cinema. —Armond White, National Review, 24 Feb. 2021

These reviews are a mixed bag, mostly because the titles seem random and often infra dig. —Dwight Garner, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

short for Latin infra dignitatem

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

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