disgrace 1 of 2

Definition of disgracenext
1
2
as in scandal
a cause of shame the exposure of his criminal record was a huge disgrace for the councilman

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in pity
a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a disgrace to let all the leftover food from the banquet go to waste, so let's deliver it to the homeless shelter

Synonyms & Similar Words

disgrace

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun disgrace differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disgrace are dishonor, disrepute, ignominy, and infamy. While all these words mean "the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach," disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

When could dishonor be used to replace disgrace?

While in some cases nearly identical to disgrace, dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

In what contexts can disrepute take the place of disgrace?

In some situations, the words disrepute and disgrace are roughly equivalent. However, disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

Where would ignominy be a reasonable alternative to disgrace?

The synonyms ignominy and disgrace are sometimes interchangeable, but ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

When is infamy a more appropriate choice than disgrace?

The words infamy and disgrace can be used in similar contexts, but infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

How does the noun disgrace differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disgrace are dishonor, disrepute, ignominy, and infamy. While all these words mean "the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach," disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

When could dishonor be used to replace disgrace?

While in some cases nearly identical to disgrace, dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

In what contexts can disrepute take the place of disgrace?

In some situations, the words disrepute and disgrace are roughly equivalent. However, disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

Where would ignominy be a reasonable alternative to disgrace?

The synonyms ignominy and disgrace are sometimes interchangeable, but ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

When is infamy a more appropriate choice than disgrace?

The words infamy and disgrace can be used in similar contexts, but infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disgrace
Noun
Only 40 such banners have been removed in disgrace since 1348. Emma Banks, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026 Since then, the political careers of most of Fujimori’s successors have also ended in disgrace. Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
Johnson’s Law Department settled 176 wrongful conviction cases involving disgraced former police Sgt. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026 The year before, Previn also joined Epstein in defending disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, according to one email. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disgrace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disgrace
Noun
  • There’s no shame in making mistakes, even if the franchise has made the same mistakes for two-plus decades.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The sport has come a long way since the juiced glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s, enacting frequent testing, punishment and public shame.
    Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This season, hosts Margo Gray and Ian Mandt explore stories including Yale University’s naked freshman photo scandal, which is featured in the first episode.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The question is whether this pushing of paper will work to help the Giants organization, the Tisch family and the NFL to make this scandal fade away in the public’s mind.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Despite how abject all this sounds, the protagonist does not seem weak or worthy of pity.
    Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Mikey Madison does a stellar job of switching back and forth between homicidal malevolence and victimhood, going straight for pity whenever Amber is cornered.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But no one here is out to humiliate anyone, which is nasty and unkind and not at all the sort of humor Lawrence trades in.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.
    Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Election experts widely discredited the review as shoddy and partisan.
    Benjamin Swasey, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
  • These accusations are coming from far-right and far-left accounts as well as anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, that are inclined to discredit Israel.
    Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Americans were left to root for the same team that embarrassed them, and that team delivered.
    Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
  • On Tuesday night, as the NFL world reeled with the Maxx Crosby news and the NBA was starry-eyed at Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, the rest of us were watching Team Italy embarrass the good ol’ US of A with an 8-6 win in the World Baseball Classic.
    Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disgrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disgrace. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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