as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
in "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne bore the stigma of adultery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stigma
Like many forms of popular culture, from television to comic books to rock and roll music, video games have faced stigma and fear in their rise to popularity.
—
Andrew McGowan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
In addition, people no doubt experience the psychological stress and stigma of a possible criminal conviction differently.
—The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
The categorizations of obesity and overweight can contribute to weight stigma, and they are often based on body mass index (BMI), which is not an accurate measure of health.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 8 Oct. 2025
Local news described these offices as ways to keep up appearances, to avoid the stigma of being jobless and deflect questions from worried family members.
—Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigma
Andrew McGowan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
In addition, people no doubt experience the psychological stress and stigma of a possible criminal conviction differently.
—The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
The categorizations of obesity and overweight can contribute to weight stigma, and they are often based on body mass index (BMI), which is not an accurate measure of health.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 8 Oct. 2025
Local news described these offices as ways to keep up appearances, to avoid the stigma of being jobless and deflect questions from worried family members.
—Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigma
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigma
Noun
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The recklessness of Netanyahu's government has smeared on Israel's face a stain that will be difficult to erase even with a generation's effort.—
Ehud Barak,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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Cream of Tartar & Lemon Juice Paste Like baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, cream of tartar and lemon shockingly has cleaning and brightening properties that are effective for lifting dirt and stains off grout lines.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Take care not to touch the glands, or your hands will carry their taint to the meat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The series’ first season, chronicling the crimes of Milwaukee serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, prompted a conversation about the exploitation of Black and disabled people’s stories for entertainment, while the season following the Menendez Brothers led to a real-world reconsidering of their guilt.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
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As anger fades into apathy and grief is aggravated by guilt, the public also chooses silence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This person has brought shame and disgrace to the badge and to an honorable profession.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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People can feel a lot of shame about being in credit card debt.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For ink and permanent marker stains, blot with a solvent like rubbing alcohol or acetone first.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
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Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Alaves is the only blot on their copybook.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stigma.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigma. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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