disgrace 1 of 2

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

Examples of disgrace in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Gruden resigned from the Raiders in disgrace, forfeiting about $60 million on his contract along with millions of dollars in endorsements and other deals. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 July 2024 This year’s Fashion Week Berlin is a morally bankrupt disgrace. Uwe Westphal, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2024
Verb
Huma Abedin, a former Hillary Clinton staffer who was married to disgraced New York politician Anthony Weiner, is engaged to Alex Soros — the son of billionaire political donor George Soros. Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 11 July 2024 With the recent convictions of two notable members of our leading political families our path to decency and leadership has been eroded and disgraced. Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for disgrace 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disgrace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near disgrace

Cite this Entry

“Disgrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disgrace. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.

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