dishonored

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dishonored" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone or something that has lost honor or respect. Example: "He felt dishonored after the accusations were made against him." Alternative expressions include "disgraced" and "shamed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That finding partly "dishonored" the great scientist, as Nostradamus predicted.

Independent

This is when the moon completes her great cycle, But by other rumors he shall be dishonored".

Independent

At Bethesda's event, it also announced Dishonored 2 and a new version of Doom.

Independent

Something Dishonored manages within a set of limits so why not regular shooters?

Independent

A good man was the victim of a horrible injustice, decent people rallied to his side, the bad guys responsible for it were exposed, the good guy got to come home and was honored by the same people in the same place where he had been dishonored.

The New Yorker

(According to Freston, the way for him to make up for it would be to say, "I know how hard you worked and instead of feeling grateful, I dishonored you in front of people....To help make sure it doesn't happen again, I have signed up for a course in how to work through childhood wounds").

The New Yorker

Symmetrically, he is also unpopular with the Freudians, who feel that in his attempts to save Freud he has blurred the great man's principles, and dishonored them.

The New Yorker

Howells, like Twain, then watched with disbelief as the Spanish American war, with a toxic cocktail of deliberate manipulation (he knew both Pulitzer and Hearst, and rated them correctly), imperial appetite, and a kind of primitive tribalism, dishonored the country he loved and thought he knew.

The New Yorker

Thiessen's effort to rewrite the history of the C.I.A.'s interrogation program comes not long after a Presidential race in which both the Republican and the Democratic nominees agreed that state-sponsored cruelty had damaged and dishonored America.

The New Yorker

Under torture in Vietnam, McCain once gave a false confession, and afterward he contemplated suicide, fearing, as his biographer Robert Timberg wrote, that he had "dishonored his country, his family and himself".

The New Yorker

Even today, in certain quarters, she is trivialized and dishonored because of the dangerously confessional aspect of her poems.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "dishonored" when you want to emphasize the violation of a code of honor or moral principles. It carries a stronger connotation of moral failure than simply saying someone is 'disgraced'.

Common error

Avoid using "dishonored" in contexts where the loss of respect is due to incompetence rather than a moral failing. Terms like 'discredited' or 'ineffective' might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

Dishonored primarily functions as a past participle adjective, modifying nouns to indicate a state of disgrace or loss of honor. Ludwig shows examples where it describes individuals, principles, or even institutions that have suffered a loss of reputation or moral standing. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "dishonored" functions as a past participle adjective signifying a state of disgrace or loss of honor, typically stemming from a violation of moral principles. It’s frequently found in News & Media sources, as shown by the data available in Ludwig, serving to communicate disapproval and moral outrage. While grammatically correct and widely used, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's important to choose this word when moral failing, not incompetence, is the issue. To replace "dishonored", you may consider other words like "disgraced" or "shamed" depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

disgraced

Indicates a loss of reputation or respect as a result of a dishonorable action.

disgraced and humiliated

Combines two terms to amplify the sense of shame and loss of respect.

shamed

Focuses on the feeling of humiliation and loss of dignity.

defiled

Suggests a violation or corruption of something pure or sacred, leading to dishonor.

brought into disrepute

Highlights the action of causing someone or something to lose respect or credibility.

discredited

Emphasizes the loss of credibility or believability.

stigmatized

Highlights the mark of disgrace or disapproval associated with a particular action or characteristic.

lost face

Focuses on the cultural aspect of losing respect or status in the eyes of others.

tainted

Implies that something has been corrupted or contaminated, leading to a loss of honor.

humiliated

Focuses on the feeling of being publicly embarrassed or degraded.

FAQs

How is "dishonored" different from "disgraced"?

"Dishonored" often implies a violation of a moral code or principles, whereas "disgraced" is a more general term for losing respect or reputation. Someone might be "disgraced" due to incompetence, but "dishonored" suggests a deeper moral failing.

What are some alternatives to using the word "dishonored"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "disgraced", "shamed", "defiled", or "discredited". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Can "dishonored" be used to describe an object or only a person?

While "dishonored" is often used to describe a person, it can also be used to describe an object or institution if it has been treated in a way that violates its inherent value or purpose. For instance, "The nation's obligation to honor its war dead has been shockingly and painfully dishonored at Arlington National Cemetery."

Is "dishonored" always a negative term?

Yes, "dishonored" always carries a negative connotation, indicating a loss of honor, respect, or dignity. There are no positive or neutral uses of the term.