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indignity
noun
in·dig·ni·ty
in-ˈdig-nə-tē
plural indignities
1
a
: an act that offends against a person's dignity or self-respect : insult
b
: humiliating treatment
2
obsolete
: lack or loss of dignity or honor
Synonyms
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
This is the key message of Spacey Unmasked, Haywood says: to give men a platform to shed that indignity.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
Others have no plans to allow their gnomes to endure the indignity of residing outside in potentially poor weather conditions.
—Steve Reed, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
Your words would fill a document on-screen without your hands having to bear the indignity of actually typing.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Up-to-the-minute references range from the war in Ukraine and the indignities of the gig economy to the misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.
—The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
Our lives are filled with indignity after indignity.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2024
Pride’s success ought to have led to more Black voices in country music, but folks like Linda Martell still had to endure countless indignities, obstacles, and double standards.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 1 Apr. 2024
That is an indignity that no American should have to suffer.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile the animals, some of whom were once deployed in America’s foreign wars, are helping break new ground with research on kidney stones, cataracts, weight issues and all the other indignities faced by aging veterans everywhere.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indignity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin indignitat-, indignitas, from indignus
First Known Use
1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near indignity
Cite this Entry
“Indignity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indignity. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids 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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