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ignominious

adjective

ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs How to pronounce ignominious (audio)
Definition of ignominiousnext
1
as in notorious
not respectable some of his friends considered the low-level job to be an ignominious fate for the laid-off executive

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. notorious
  2. vile
  3. infamous
  4. nasty
  5. criminal
  6. dirty
  7. shady
  8. ignoble
Adjective
  • The former executive was jailed at the notorious Riker’s Island jail complex in New York at the time of the interview.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Researching religious-art theft, Gurrea came across Erik the Belgian, a notorious thief who targeted churches across Spain during the 20th century.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of notorious
Adjective
  • The win of the vile film NZA [sic] at the Venice Festival is shocking.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Kiju looked at me, took my hand, and walked around the woman and out into the night air as those inside gasped and moved to help the vile woman.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vile
Adjective
  • And, yes, several of you have been kind enough to mention that trade-Marino column, my most infamous.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In their new Apple series, Brothers, that infamous tale appears in the pilot when Holland Taylor, playing Ma Mac, drops the bomb on Harrelson, who doesn’t have the guts to tell McConaughey right away.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of infamous
Adjective
  • Rather, the couple’s beloved dog, Lena, was up all night with a nasty case of diarrhea.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The latest special guest stars Este Haim as the mysterious Hallow's Eve, a villainess who wants to ruin Halloween forever by playing nasty tricks on kids out looking for candy.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • Caddell remains under administration, and the criminal investigation against the company and two of its managers in Italy is continuing, prosecutors said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But that shifted in recent years as criminal justice advocates called attention to the issue.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • At almost any hour, someone is settling in for a caffeine fix, a glass of wine, or one more dirty martini.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Muddy kids’ clothes, workwear or especially dirty towels can benefit from the extra thermal energy that helps detergent loosen and lift ground-in soil.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • That combination can get past the skepticism many of us have learned to apply to obviously shady emails and suspicious websites.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • From Ryan and Myers to directors Adam Arkin, guest starring as a shady lawyer to boot, and Nina Lopez-Corrado, everybody on American Hostage deserves credit for introducing all these good elements.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 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

Browse Nearby Words

ignominies
ignominious
ignominy
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Cite this Entry

“Ignominious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignominious. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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