robbed of dignity

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "robbed of dignity" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts where someone has been stripped of their self-respect or honor, often due to mistreatment or injustice. Example: After the scandal, he felt completely robbed of dignity in front of his peers. Alternative expressions include "deprived of dignity" and "stripped of dignity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The chief executive, Simon Stevens, who began in the role last month, said too many older patients were being robbed of dignity and compassion because of a lack of local care.

The Guardian

They witnessed a nation and its people robbed of dignity.

Huffington Post

Those who enjoy correcting spelling and grammatical errors online -- I do -- are they thereby "robbed of dignity" as Lanier would have it?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The eloquent and pompous orator had been robbed of all dignity.

The New York Times

On ESPN, the question was whether Paterno had been "robbed of his dignity".

The New Yorker

* Farron said the people featured on Benefits Street were being "robbed of their dignity".

The Guardian

Women on the breadline are being robbed of their dignity and forced to choose between food and sanitary products.

The Guardian - Opinion

But I am sorry to say that during those early days I was robbed of my dignity".

The Guardian - Opinion

We can never be satisfied as long as our chlidren are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for whites only".

Independent

E-mail address GO SIGN UP Share Tweet On ESPN, the question was whether Paterno had been "robbed of his dignity".

The New Yorker

The motorsport boss Max Mosley has been permanently robbed of his dignity after newspaper stories revealed that he attended sadomasochistic "parties", he said yesterday.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "robbed of dignity" when you want to emphasize the injustice or ethical wrongness of an action, as the word 'robbed' implies a theft of something that inherently belongs to the person.

Common error

Do not use "robbed of dignity" for trivial or everyday inconveniences. Because it is frequently used in contexts of genocide, human rights abuses and end-of-life care in Ludwig examples, using it for minor slights can seem insensitive or overly dramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "robbed of dignity" functions as a passive construction typically used to describe the effect of external forces on a person's state of being. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and follows the standard pattern of 'robbed of [abstract noun]'.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

5%

Less common in

Science

0.5%

Social Media

0.3%

Wiki

0.2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "robbed of dignity" is a well-established and powerful idiom in English. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread use across the most prestigious media outlets in the world. It is almost exclusively used to describe serious, life-altering situations where a person's self-worth or basic human respect is taken away by others or by harsh circumstances. While synonymous with "stripped of dignity", it carries a unique rhetorical weight by framing the loss as a theft. Writers should use it with care to maintain its emotional impact, ensuring the context justifies such a strong expression of dehumanization.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stripped of dignity

Emphasizes the forceful or systematic removal of respect

deprived of dignity

Suggests a lack of basic human rights or necessary conditions

denied dignity

Focuses on the refusal to grant or acknowledge one's worth

bereft of dignity

A more literary term describing a state of complete lack

shorn of dignity

Uses a metaphor of cutting away to show loss

divested of dignity

A formal way to describe being stripped of a quality

robbed of self-respect

Focuses on the internal psychological impact rather than social standing

stripped of humanity

Increases the severity to imply total dehumanization

degraded

A single-word verb that summarizes the process of losing status

robbed of agency

Focuses specifically on the loss of the power to act or choose

FAQs

How to use "robbed of dignity" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe victims of mistreatment, such as: "Many elderly patients felt "robbed of dignity" due to the impersonal nature of the care facility."

What can I say instead of "robbed of dignity"?

Depending on the severity, you might use "stripped of dignity" for more forceful contexts or "deprived of dignity" for systemic issues.

Is "robbed of dignity" formal or informal?

It is a neutral to formal phrase. While it appears in everyday speech, it is most common in serious journalism and academic writing regarding social justice.

What is the difference between "robbed of dignity" and "stripped of dignity"?

The difference is subtle. "robbed of dignity" emphasizes the illegal or immoral nature of the loss, while "stripped of dignity" emphasizes the completeness and public nature of the removal.