as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
in "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne bore the stigma of adultery
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Recent Examples of stigma
The money conversation, which may or may not come up in tandem with the advancement conversation, is about pushing past stigma and fears to negotiate effectively for a higher starting salary, a raise, or other valuable perks.
—
Stav Ziv, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Weininger, a Jew by birth who converted to escape the stigma, was an antisemite and a misogynist.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Historically, efforts to find a singular cause for autism has led to scrutinizing parents and fueling stigma about autism, Lappé added.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
Chandan is a Dalit, a low-caste Hindu in a country where the system is outlawed but the stigma persists, and Shoaib is Muslim in a time when India faces alarming rises in Islamophobia.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigma
Stav Ziv, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Weininger, a Jew by birth who converted to escape the stigma, was an antisemite and a misogynist.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Historically, efforts to find a singular cause for autism has led to scrutinizing parents and fueling stigma about autism, Lappé added.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 26 Sep. 2025
Chandan is a Dalit, a low-caste Hindu in a country where the system is outlawed but the stigma persists, and Shoaib is Muslim in a time when India faces alarming rises in Islamophobia.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigma
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigma
Noun
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After the hat has cooled, Rosa—a factory floor veteran of 30 years—will steam it to relax the fur’s fibers, and then inspect it for stains and imperfections.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
3 Oct. 2025
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To clean food stains or mineral deposits, spray the area with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Take care not to touch the glands, or your hands will carry their taint to the meat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The taint of it all has melted away.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The series’ first season, chronicling the crimes of Milwaukee serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, prompted a conversation about the exploitation of Black and disabled people’s stories for entertainment, while the season following the Menendez Brothers led to a real-world reconsidering of their guilt.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
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As anger fades into apathy and grief is aggravated by guilt, the public also chooses silence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Until very recently, people who have been pregnant or given birth kept the experience to themselves; a sense of secrecy or even shame pervaded the realities of welcoming a child.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Alaves is the only blot on their copybook.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Pretreat any stains with a stain remover of choice and blot with a dry white cloth to remove as much stain prior to washing.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stigma.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigma. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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