ignominious

USAGE SUMMARY

'ignominious' is a word used in written English.
It is an adjective that means 'having a shameful or humiliating quality'. You can use it any time you want to describe something as shameful or humiliating. Example sentence: The ignominious defeat left the team feeling humiliated.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The 76-year-old's three-year spell as finance minister was ignominious.

The Economist

On the contrary, making them accessible ensures that state aid arrives to those who have a right to it…Helping them isn't ignominious, the ignominy is trying to hide who is helped and trying to keep the channelling of public funds secret.

The Economist

Their trip to Russia will go a fair way to deciding whether they will top Group F, and to avoid defeat they will surely have to improve on their last away performance, an ignominious 2-1 win over Luxembourg.

The Guardian - Sport

But even now the Conservatives are unable to acknowledge the widespread emotional trauma that their union-busting embrace of globalisation induced, and the ignominious end they delivered to a long and heroic working tradition.

The Guardian - Opinion

As uncomfortable as that experience was, still more troubling was his family's reaction to the first volume, a mordant reflection on the ignominious demise of Knausgaard's father.

The Guardian - Books

No one gave them a prayer in the Premier League, everyone predicted instant and ignominious failure, yet in that first season the Latics hit the ground running.

The Guardian - Sport

He presided over a period in which the very phrase "trade union" seemed to evoke ignominious response and even ridicule.

The Guardian

If his words are to stand as anything more than a sick joke, the government must immediately withdraw these ignominious pitches and allow this country to retain at least some shred of its once proud reputation.

The Guardian - Opinion

Ignominious defeat has been turned into honourable defeat by Victor Trumper, Walter Hammond and several others.

The Guardian - Sport

If Allister were to succeed in harnessing enough unionist discontent over Ian Paisley's decision to enter into a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin and snatching the seat for the TUV it would mark the ignominious end of a remarkable political career.

The Guardian

The hosts made an ignominious exit from the tournament in a thrilling 7-1 defeatoto Germany that made the mighty pentacampeão look like a Sunday beach team.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ignominious" to describe situations or events that are not only shameful but also publicly humiliating and disgraceful. It's stronger than simply 'shameful'.

Common error

Avoid using "ignominious" to describe private failings or personal regrets. It's best reserved for public acts of disgrace, not internal feelings of shame.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "ignominious" functions to describe a noun, typically an event, action, or situation, as being deeply shameful and publicly disgraceful. Ludwig AI's examples show its usage in contexts such as "ignominious defeat" or "ignominious end".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "ignominious" is used to describe something deeply shameful and publicly disgraceful. As Ludwig AI confirms, its primary function is descriptive, serving to express strong disapproval and condemnation within a neutral register, predominantly in news and media contexts. While alternatives like "shameful" or "disgraceful" exist, "ignominious" carries a unique emphasis on public humiliation. Remember to reserve its use for situations involving a public dimension of shame rather than private feelings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shameful

Focuses directly on the feeling of shame associated with an action or situation, losing the nuance of public disgrace.

disgraceful

Emphasizes the loss of respect and honor, without necessarily implying deep humiliation.

humiliating

Highlights the experience of being made to feel small or foolish, lacking the broad scope of disgrace.

dishonorable

Stresses the lack of integrity or moral principles, differing from the emphasis on public shame.

inglorious

Implies a lack of glory or honor, particularly in defeat or failure, shifting from the concept of shame.

degrading

Focuses on the reduction of someone's status or dignity, often applied to treatment or conditions.

opprobrious

Implies something that expresses scorn or condemnation, rather than inherent shame.

black

Referencing the moral stain of an action, conveying the most intensely negative connotation.

debasing

Highlights the act of lowering the quality or character of someone or something, moving away from direct shame.

discreditable

Focuses on causing a loss of reputation, rather than focusing on personal shame or disgrace.

FAQs

How to use "ignominious" in a sentence?

Use "ignominious" to describe a situation or event that involves public shame or disgrace. For example, "The team suffered an "ignominious defeat" after a series of errors."

What can I say instead of "ignominious"?

You can use alternatives like "shameful", "disgraceful", or "humiliating", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "ignominious retreat" or "shameful retreat"?

While both "ignominious retreat" and "shameful retreat" are grammatically correct, "ignominious retreat" emphasizes the public disgrace associated with the retreat, while "shameful retreat" simply highlights the shamefulness of the action.

What's the difference between "ignominious" and "inglorious"?

"Ignominious" refers to something that is publicly shameful and disgraceful, while "inglorious" refers to something that lacks glory or honor, often in the context of a defeat or failure. The former stresses shame, the latter stresses lack of glory.