1
Core quality
Deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
Example
The expedition ended in ignominious failure.
ignominious
/ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs/ · ig-nuh-MIN-ee-usadjective
Deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
Use ignominious to express this relationship precisely: deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
What ignominious Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
He suffered an ignominious dismissal after the fraud was exposed.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The team recovered from an ignominious opening defeat.
Use ignominious Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The expedition ended in ignominious failure.
He suffered an ignominious dismissal after the fraud was exposed.
The team recovered from an ignominious opening defeat.
Precision Matters
Ignominious overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
ignominious
vs.Means deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
prestige
Means high respect, admiration, status, or influence gained through achievement, quality, reputation, or association.
ignominious
vs.Means deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
acclaim
Means enthusiastic and public praise.
ignominious
vs.Means deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
irreproachable
Means beyond criticism; faultless in conduct or quality.
ignominious
vs.Means deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
calamitous
Means causing or involving great damage, suffering, failure, or disaster.
Test ignominious in Context
The departure was humiliating and publicly disgraceful.
1
Once celebrated as a reformer, the governor left office after an ___ resignation prompted by corruption charges.