disgrace
Americannoun
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the loss of respect, honor, or esteem; ignominy; shame.
the disgrace of criminals.
- Synonyms:
- taint, notoriety, disapprobation, disapproval
- Antonyms:
- honor
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a person, act, or thing that causes shame, reproach, or dishonor or is dishonorable or shameful.
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the state of being out of favor; exclusion from favor, confidence, or trust.
courtiers and ministers in disgrace.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a condition of shame, loss of reputation, or dishonour
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a shameful person, thing, or state of affairs
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exclusion from confidence or trust
he is in disgrace with his father
verb
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to bring shame upon; be a discredit to
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to treat or cause to be treated with disfavour
Synonym Usage
Disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, infamy imply a very low position in the opinion of others. Disgrace implies the disfavor of others: to be in disgrace. Dishonor implies a stain on honor or honorable reputation; it relates especially to the person's own conduct: He preferred death to dishonor. Ignominy is disgrace in which one's situation invites contempt: the ignominy of being discovered cheating. Infamy is shameful notoriety, or baseness of action or character that is widely known and recognized: The children never outlived the father's infamy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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self-disgracingadjective
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undisgracedadjective
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predisgracenoun
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disgracernoun
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quasi-disgracedadjective
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self-disgracedadjective
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self-disgracenoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have disgracedperfect
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has disgracedperfect 3rd person singular
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are disgracingprogressive
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have been disgracingperfect progressive
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am disgracingprogressive 1st person singular
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is disgracingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been disgracingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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disgracingparticiple
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disgracessingular 3rd person
Past
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had disgracedperfect
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had been disgracingperfect progressive
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were disgracingprogressive plural
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was disgracingprogressive singular
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disgracedparticiple
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disgracedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disgrace
1540–50; (noun) < Middle French < Italian disgrazia, equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + grazia < Latin gratia ( see grace); (v.) < Middle French disgracier < Italian disgraziare, derivative of disgrazia
Explanation
Use the verb disgrace to say that someone has brought shame upon himself. Your brother might disgrace himself at the family reunion by being rude to your Uncle Bob. You probably notice that grace makes up a big part of disgrace. Combine this with the dis- prefix, meaning “the opposite of,” and you get a word that involves shame and dishonor. Think of disgrace as a kind of fall from grace — it’s what happens when you do something that causes you to lose favor or damages your reputation. You could disgrace yourself by losing your tennis match badly, or you could disgrace yourself by cheating on an exam.
Vocabulary lists containing disgrace
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Excerpts from "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet"
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"The Sporting Spirit"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In fact, he’s constantly mired in scandal, shame and disgrace, and has been his entire life.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
"It's a disgrace," former Hearts striker Ryan Stevenson said, referring to the Celtic penalty.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
What counted as a public disgrace in politics 26 years ago should be the same as today.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
How would you feel about getting a dream gig only to see it end in disgrace because of, well, you?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Ignatius flagged it down just as his mother, forgetting the disgrace of the shredded nightgown, ran down to the curb.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
