dishonor

1 of 2

noun

dis·​hon·​or (ˌ)dis-ˈä-nər 

 also  (ˌ)diz-

1

: lack or loss of honor or reputation

2

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

has brought dishonor on his family

3

: a cause of disgrace

4

: 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

1

a

: to treat in a degrading manner

b

: to bring shame on

2

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

Synonyms

Noun

• discredit
• disesteem
• disgrace
• disrepute
• ignominy
• infamy
• obloquy
• odium
• opprobrium
• reproach
• shame

Verb

• abase
• chasten
• cheapen
• debase
• degrade
• demean
• discredit
• disgrace
• foul
• humble
• humiliate
• lower
• shame
• sink
• smirch
• take down

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

Examples of dishonor in a Sentence

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

There will be no disgrace or dishonor if they get rolled by the defending champs in the second round. —Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025

To remove the web page of a Medal of Honor recipient, in this case awarded by President Nixon, dishonors all the military and their families. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2025

Verb

But staying silent would dishonor the victims’ memories. —Jay Tcath, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025

Yifei Liu's Mulan weighs dishonoring her family vs. saving her father (Tzi Ma) and defending the country from invaders, and the tale is an eye-popping fantasy adventure about embracing one's self. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dishonour, from Anglo-French deshonur, from des- dis- + honur honor

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing dishonor

• there's no dishonor in

Rhymes for dishonor

• afrikaner
• conner
• honor
• honour
• wanner

Kids Definition

dishonor

1 of 2 noun

dis·​hon·​or (ˈ)dis-ˈän-ər 

1

: loss of honor or good name

2

: the state of one who has lost honor

3

: a cause of disgrace

dishonor

2 of 2 verb

1

: to bring shame on : disgrace

2

: to refuse to accept or pay (as a check)

dishonorer noun

Legal Definition

dishonor

1 of 2 noun

dis·​hon·​or

: refusal on the part of the issuer (as a bank) to pay or accept commercial paper (as a check) when it is presented see also wrongful dishonor

dishonor

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to refuse to pay or accept

a bank dishonoring the checks for insufficient funds