dishonor

1 of 2

noun

dis·hon·or (ˌ)dis-ˈä-nər

also (ˌ)diz-

Synonyms of dishonor next

: lack or loss of honor or reputation

: the state of one who has lost honor or prestige : shame

has brought dishonor on his family

: a cause of disgrace

: the nonpayment or nonacceptance of commercial paper by the party on whom it is drawn

dishonorer

(ˌ)dis-ˈän-ər-ər

also (ˌ)diz-

noun

dishonor

2 of 2

verb

dishonored; dishonoring; dishonors

transitive verb

: to treat in a degrading manner

: to bring shame on

: to refuse to accept or pay (something, such as a bill or check)

Choose the Right Synonym for dishonor

disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, infamy, ignominy mean the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach.

disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

Example Sentences

Noun warriors who choose death before dishonor He is afraid that his confession will bring dishonor on the family. Verb She dishonored her oath of office. The bank dishonored my check.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Honor killings are typically carried out on a family member who is thought to have brought dishonor upon relatives. —

Fox News, 3 Aug. 2022 Death or dishonor? —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2022 The Razzies acknowledged the elephant in the room at the 2023 awards – the organization gave itself a dishonor after nominating a 12-year-old for worst actress, sparking internet controversy. —

Julia Maccary, Variety, 10 Mar. 2023 That dishonor belongs to the investigators in the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, which charged two young women within a two-year span with filing false reports. —

Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 7 Feb. 2023 On the dishonor roll (see nearby) are the usual suspects, and the states with the worst tax climates are: New Jersey (ranked 50th), New York (49), California (48) and Connecticut (47). —

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 Nov. 2022 None of those four men have won a major singles title: no dishonor and no surprise in a long-running era that has been dominated by the Big 3 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. —

Christopher Clarey, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022 Military law prohibits conduct by an officer that disgraces them personally or brings dishonor to the military profession. —

Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2022 For a school like Stanford, there should be no shame or dishonor in downsizing football. —

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Dec. 2022

Verb

Meanwhile, every Republican likely vying to lead this country is openly dishonoring the people killed, their families and friends, and every single person in America frustrated by government inaction on gun violence. —

Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 14 Apr. 2023 Race is right up front in almost all of Leigh’s work; she’s often said that Black women are her primary audience, and their labor — disregarded at best, dishonored and exploited at worst — the fuel for her creative fire. —

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023 More:What to know about hamantaschen, a delicious Purim treat that dishonors a villain Friendship Café & Bakery 8649 N. Port Washington Road, Fox Point(414) 755-5855fccafe.comStop in for the hamantaschen, stay for the challah. —

Joan Elovitz Kazan, Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2023 This provision was adopted to ensure that the federal debts incurred to fight the Civil War couldn’t be dishonored by a Congress that included members from the former Confederate states. —

David B. Rivkin Jr. And Lee A. Casey, WSJ, 20 Feb. 2023 Musk has no right to exit the agreement based on the number of spam accounts, Twitter wrote: The Counterclaims fail to justify Musk's plan to dishonor the merger agreement. —

Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2022 My efforts left my family aghast; my mother said that meeting the murderer would dishonor my father’s memory. —

The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2022 To do nothing while free speech is imperiled is to ensure a tragedy that will dishonor every patriot who has sacrificed for us. —

WSJ, 20 Oct. 2021 Biden must not dishonor their grace and patriotism. —

Fox News Staff, Fox News, 6 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dishonor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.