humiliation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of humiliating or being humiliated.
-
the state or feeling of being humiliated; mortification.
- Synonyms:
- dishonor, degradation
Synonym Usage
See shame.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humiliation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin humiliātiōn- (stem of humiliātiō ). See humiliate, -ion
Explanation
Humiliation describes a strong feeling of embarrassment or mortification — like that time in sixth grade when your mother wiped your face and called you "honey bunny" in front of all your friends. Humiliation comes from the Latin word humiliare, which means "to humble." So if you are caught in a situation that causes humiliation, you are humbled — with a loss of self-esteem and self-respect. If you become a politician, for example, and you campaign on a platform of family values, don't get caught cheating on your spouse; the public humiliation may be enough to drive you out of politics.
Vocabulary lists containing humiliation
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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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.
His willingness to absorb humiliation may even strengthen his position.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
"After that, that's when the humiliation hit me - I really didn't want to be the person that this had happened to, I didn't want to be a victim of a fraud and a fraudster."
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Worst case: blank stare, polite nonrecognition and the humiliation of realizing he doesn’t remember me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
They were 45 minutes from another early World Cup exit - their swiftest since 1966 - and national humiliation.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
No wonder since we look it, and once more the humiliation of having nothing, not even a cooking pot, smote at me.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
