inglorious

adjective

in·​glo·​ri·​ous (ˌ)in-ˈglȯr-ē-əs 

1

: shameful, ignominious

an inglorious defeat

2

: not glorious : lacking fame or honor

made an inglorious comeback

ingloriously adverb

ingloriousness noun

Examples of inglorious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some experts fear that a Russian loss—or some other inglorious outcome for Moscow—may precipitate a broader war or nuclear escalation. —Alexander Vindman, Foreign Affairs, 11 May 2022

Moments after Scalise and his entourage of aides and suit-donning officers left the Capitol Thursday evening, his inglorious departure was already a distant memory to second-term Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota. —Matt Laslo, WIRED, 13 Oct. 2023

The Florida Republican had just set an inglorious precedent, ousting the first Speaker in U.S. history over his audacious transgression of working with Democrats to keep the government lights on. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Oct. 2023

After that inglorious start, sterling defense altered the course of the game for the Sox in the top of the third. —Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023

Da Ros and Taylor find several reasons for this inglorious tradition. —Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022

But Zaslav joined the movie business at a bracingly inglorious moment. —Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2023

Moss might have drawn more on the long and largely inglorious history of exile politics elsewhere. —Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022

Reply All came to an inglorious end just over a year ago, and Gimlet under Spotify hasn’t produced another equivalent hit. —Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 6 June 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Latin inglorius, from in- + gloria glory

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inglorious

adjective

in·​glo·​ri·​ous (ˈ)in-ˈglōr-ē-əs 

-ˈglȯr-

1

: not glorious : not bringing honor or glory

2

: bringing disgrace : shameful

inglorious defeat

ingloriously adverb