dishonor
Americannoun
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lack or loss of honor; disgraceful or dishonest character or conduct.
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disgrace; ignominy; shame.
His arrest brought dishonor to his family.
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an indignity; insult.
to do someone a dishonor.
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a cause of shame or disgrace.
He is a dishonor to his family.
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Commerce. failure or refusal of the drawee or intended acceptor of a bill of exchange or note to accept it or, if it is accepted, to pay and retire it.
verb (used with object)
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to deprive of honor; disgrace; bring reproach or shame on.
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Commerce. to fail or refuse to honor or pay (a draft, check, etc.).
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to rape or seduce.
Related Words
See disgrace.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dishonor
1250–1300; Middle English dishonour (noun), dishonouren (v.) < Anglo-French, Old French; see dis- 1, honor
Explanation
Dishonor is a state of shame and disgrace. If you were caught lip-syncing to a recording during a singing contest, you’d probably feel a sense of dishonor. Honor has to do with respect, so dishonor involves a lack of respect. If you dishonor something, you’ve brought shame to it. Athletes who cheat during a game have dishonored themselves and their teams. You can also say a shameful act brings dishonor. When a politician is involved in a scandal, it brings dishonor to his or her reputation.
Vocabulary lists containing dishonor
Workshop 4, Part 2
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Simply Scandalous!
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"Pashmina" by Nidhi Chanani
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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.
McDowell has a tattoo on his left shoulder that reads "Death Before Dishonor" and a tattoo on his right arm that reads "EGA."
From Fox News • Sep. 27, 2021
The motto Death Before Dishonor is what makes them put their lives on the line.
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2019
Besides directing the 1987 military action-adventure "Death Before Dishonor," he's a well-respected second-unit director who staged the spectacular train crash sequence in the 1993 classic "The Fugitive."
From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2015
Yet Mr. Rakoff keeps “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish” from sinking into grief by injecting a healthy dose of hypocrisy into its later stages.
From New York Times • Jul. 24, 2013
Dishonor meant to be last in the field and first in the retreat.
From Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern by Saltus, Edgar
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.
