inglorious

adjective

in·​glo·​ri·​ous (ˌ)in-ˈglȯr-ē-əs 

1

: shameful, ignominious

an inglorious defeat

2

: not glorious : lacking fame or honor

made an inglorious comeback

ingloriously adverb

ingloriousness noun

Examples of inglorious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The former prime minister has remained a highly influential figure in Iraqi politics despite his inglorious exit from the office in 2014, thanks in large part to his skills as a politician and crisis manager. —Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Such inglorious bastardizations don't sit well with the actual footage of the camps shown subsequently. —NPR, 11 Nov. 2025

One was needed with a narrow temperature range; in Helm’s case, inglorious British maritime. —Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

Beyond his inglorious past, though, Hegseth and his Quantico speech should not be dismissed merely as meme fodder. —Arman Khan, Them., 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin inglorius, from in- + gloria glory

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inglorious

• laborious
• notorious
• sartorius
• uproarious
• vainglorious
• victorious
• glorious
• meritorious

Kids Definition

inglorious

adjective

in·​glo·​ri·​ous (ˈ)in-ˈglōr-ē-əs 

-ˈglȯr-

1

: not glorious : not bringing honor or glory

2

: bringing disgrace : shameful

inglorious defeat

ingloriously adverb