disrepute

noun

dis·​re·​pute ˌdis-ri-ˈpyüt 

: lack or decline of good reputation : a state of being held in low esteem

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When to Use Disrepute

A reputation can be easy to lose, and someone who is no longer respectable may eventually find he's become genuinely disreputable—the kind of person that almost no one wants to be seen with. Disrepute isn't only for individuals: A company may fall into disrepute as a result of news stories about its products' defects; drug scandals have brought entire sports into disrepute; and a scientific theory may fall into disrepute as a result of new discoveries.

Synonyms

• disgrace
• shame

Choose the Right Synonym for disrepute

disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, infamy, ignominy mean the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach.

disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

Examples of disrepute in a Sentence

The theory has been in disrepute for years.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

Recent Examples on the Web

Its popularity lasted well into the early nineteenth century, declining only after the surrounding neighborhood fell into disrepute, causing the once proud establishment to eventually shut its doors. —James Dodson july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing disrepute

• bring into disrepute
• fall into disrepute
• in disrepute

Rhymes for disrepute

• absolute
• arrowroot
• attribute
• bitterroot
• constitute
• convolute
• destitute
• dissolute
• execute
• institute
• involute
• kiwifruit

Kids Definition

disrepute

noun

dis·​re·​pute ˌdis-ri-ˈpyüt 

: loss or lack of good reputation : disgrace