Synonym Chooser

How does the noun disrepute differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disrepute are disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, and infamy. While all these words mean "the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach," disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

When would disgrace be a good substitute for disrepute?

The synonyms disgrace and disrepute are sometimes interchangeable, but disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

When could dishonor be used to replace disrepute?

The words dishonor and disrepute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

Where would ignominy be a reasonable alternative to disrepute?

In some situations, the words ignominy and disrepute are roughly equivalent. However, ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

When is it sensible to use infamy instead of disrepute?

Although the words infamy and disrepute have much in common, 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 disrepute The board also found Proctor had created the appearance of bias in his dealings with a homicide suspect, and/or brought himself and the agency into disrepute. Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 2 June 2025 But lately the concept has fallen into disrepute, blamed for battering American industries, destroying jobs and desolating once-prosperous regions. Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025 The effort kicked off last summer, when 74 fellows (out of roughly 1,600) sent a letter to the Royal Society’s leadership, reportedly out of concern that Musk’s X posts were fomenting racial violence in the United Kingdom and could therefore bring the institution into disrepute. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025 As liberation turned into occupation and counterinsurgency, the United States and its power were thrown into disrepute. Melvyn P. Leffler, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2011 See All Example Sentences for disrepute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrepute
Noun
  • In the spring of 1940, as Hitler took Paris, defeated France, and allowed the British troops at Dunkirk to retreat from the continent in disgrace, two more countries initiated their own nuclear programs.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Amid her disgrace, Baldwin somewhat retreated from social media and from constantly posting images of her seven children, which critics found exploitative.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One small study published in 2018 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry noted that phasmophobia can negatively impact sleep as well as social lives due to shame surrounding the fear.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
  • My morning is completely derailed, which is a shame.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disrepute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrepute. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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