indignity

noun

in·dig·ni·ty | \in-ˈdig-nə-tē

plural indignities

Definition of indignity

1a : 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 Example Sentences Learn More about indignity

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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

All’s well that ends well, as Shakespeare wrote, and because Monday night ended well for the Phillies, catcher Andrew Knapp was spared the indignity of costing his team by failing to glove the final out in the ninth inning. — Scott Lauber, Philly.com, "Phillies starter Nick Pivetta gives Cardinals a glimpse of his improvement | Extra Innings," 19 June 2018 He was spared the indignity of a losing vote in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee by Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who found the mercy and grace to withhold his vote in deference to his colleague Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "White House stumbles add up to trouble for GOP," 25 Apr. 2018 Berman crafted a routine about the indignities of plane travel, the threat of air disasters and being afraid to fly. — Donald Liebenson, latimes.com, "Shelley Berman broke the mold for comics, now he'll be remembered at the new National Comedy Center," 3 Apr. 2018 Their upset victories were due less to their own strengths than the shortcomings of the incumbents; in ousting LaHood and Medina, Democrats were purging impurities from a party reinvigorated by the indignities of the Trump era. — Brian Chasnoff, San Antonio Express-News, "For LaHood, pride came before the fall," 6 Mar. 2018 As part of her arrest and then punishment in a subarctic climate in Siberia, Khachatryan endured horrible indignities. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, "A Stalin-era Gulag survivor never saw her husband again. USA TODAY found him.," 14 June 2018 The party suffered another indignity this election season: independents — those voters registered to no political party at all — surpassed Republicans in registration numbers Friday, reducing the GOP to third-party status. — Washington Post, "California, long a blue state, could get bluer in primary," 4 June 2018 But in Season 2, Serena began trying to reform the system from within, her internal conflict growing with each new indignity suffered. — Jennifer Vineyard, New York Times, "‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Yvonne Strahovski on the Harrowing Finale and Serena’s Murky Future," 11 July 2018 The shared experiences on TAM in a way are a call to action to never allow anyone - especially the marginalized in our society - to suffer such indignity ever again. — Mark Holgate, Vogue, "The AIDS Memorial On Instagram Has Become A Must Read Remembrance Of Those We've Lost," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indignity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.