IGNOMINIOUS Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

ignominious

adjective

ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs

Definition of ignominious

as in notorious

not respectable some of his friends considered the low-level job to be an ignominious fate for the laid-off executive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vile

not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency the prison guards degraded themselves with their inhumane, ignominious treatment of the prisoners

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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 ignominious What was seen as the injustice of her ignominious end on the gallows was at least one factor of many that propelled a move to war. — Literary Hub, 26 May 2026 Everlane is not the only relic of the ethical consumption era to find itself in ignominious circumstances. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 23 May 2026 In doing so, the TV adaptation fumbled the comics’ superior final act, turning Butcher’s own ignominious death at the hands of Hughie into an ineffective afterthought. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 May 2026 The first of such occurrences in nearly two years, this marks an ignominious milestone and potential turning point in Moscow’s years-long invasion effort. — Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ignominious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignominious

Adjective

Bohm was speeding in his BMW on Dead Man's Curve, a notorious stretch of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
In its early decades, the hotel hosted the notable and the notorious of Gilded Age New York, evolving alongside Herald Square and spending its later years as the Hotel Metro.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of notorious

Adjective

However, only Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, a security chief infamous for his brutality, is likely to face execution, the rest having been tried in absentia.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Related Stories While driving through the snowy darkness one night, the courier comes face to the face with the results of a contagion — the Umbrella Corporation’s infamous T-virus — and chaos ensues.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of infamous

Adjective

And then on Sunday, next to Granada’s imposing Alhambra fortress, Kuss — providing there are no nasty surprises — will complete his third Grand Tour in a row.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
In his nasty hands, every canvas was an indictment, a history painting with its gloves off.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Initially arrested and charged in connection with Houston’s death in fall 2025, Franklin has also been charged in two additional criminal incidents.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 Sep. 2026
The probe echoes investigations into the deaths of actor Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, both of which resulted in criminal charges for their respective drug suppliers.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of criminal

Adjective

About 15 feet away, there was an oversized rolling laundry bin where players would walk around reporters to drop off their dirty clothes.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
In them, again and again, peering over the shoulders of the dirty loft buildings and overscale Cadillac Eldorados, the twin towers of the World Trade Center appear.

— Baldwin Lee, Curbed, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

The series contemplates topics like shady lending practices by financial institutions — something that will resonate deeply with today’s economy — and the ethics of placing oneself in a news story.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, Melanie’s sister, Steph, begged Melanie to leave Sincere because of his compulsive lying and shady behavior.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of shady

Adjective

The prizes’ name is a reference to Ignatius (Ig) Nobel—a fictional character said to be a distant cousin of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel, for whom the Nobel Prizes are named—and is also a pun on the word ignoble.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026

Definition of ignoble

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“Ignominious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignominious. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ignominious

adjective

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