Synonyms of stigma

stigma

noun

ˈstig-mə 

as in stain

a mark of guilt or disgrace

in "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne bore the stigma of adultery

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stain
• taint
• guilt
• shame
• blot
• slur
• smudge
• onus
• disgrace
• brand
• ignominy
• infamy
• odium
• disrepute
• smirch
• spot
• opprobrium
• dishonor
• discredit
• obloquy
• reproach
• sin
• corruption
• black eye
• immorality
• disesteem
• licentiousness
• vice
• iniquity
• depravity
• debauchery
• unscrupulousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• credit
• award
• honor
• purity
• modesty
• chastity
• right
• legitimacy
• integrity
• good
• honesty
• stainlessness
• chasteness
• goodness
• uprightness
• rectitude
• probity
• righteousness
• fame
• glory
• repute
• scrupulousness
• renown
• virtuousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stigma

And bankruptcy numbers are, in some ways, an underestimate of financial distress, because stigma prevents many people who could benefit from the process from filing. — Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 29 July 2026

Modern medicine tells us that the stigma and resulting isolation were unfounded, as Hansen's disease is not easily spread from person to person. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 29 July 2026

These are predictable outcomes of a system that exposes women, often in isolation, to contact with unknown men under conditions shaped by coercion, stigma, and inequality. — Judy Harris Kluger, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026

Elizabeth Taylor co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research, or amfAR, in 1985 after watching friends suffer from HIV/AIDS and its stigma. — ABC News, 24 July 2026