indignity

noun

in·​dig·​ni·​ty in-ˈdig-nə-tē 

plural indignities

1

a

: an act or occurrence that offends against a person's dignity or self-respect : insult

… every little indignity that ever happened to them, and every two-bit feud, magnified …

—Wilfred Sheed

b

: humiliating treatment

… a buccal swab, which involves a brief and minimal intrusion … does not increase the indignity already attendant to normal incidents of arrest.

—Maryland v. King, 569 U.S. 435 (2013)

2

obsolete : lack or loss of dignity or honor

Synonyms of indignity

• insult
• sarcasm
• outrage

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

Ireland agonizingly captures the everyday indignities and legal roadblocks that survivors may encounter. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026

But delusional disorder is defined as something experienced for at least a month—not as a breaking-point response to indignities, to use Bilinkas’s language. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

That decision turns a vast uprising into the story of one man whose loss forces him to confront the larger indignities of the world that remains. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Written by Ireland and directed by Maria Dizzia, Pre-Existing Condition explores the quiet challenges and everyday indignities that can accompany life after a relationship forever changes you. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin indignitat-, indignitas, from indignus

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for indignity

• malignity
• dignity

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