humiliation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of humiliating or being humiliated.
-
the state or feeling of being humiliated; mortification.
- Synonyms:
- dishonor, degradation
Related Words
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.
Humiliation followed: birdies whipping past my racket, buzzing my ears, and on one occasion leaving a mark on my forehead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
The Sun labeled the 61-year-old's case as "His Final Disgrace" while The Daily Mail’s headline read, "Duke’s Final ‘£10 Million’ Humiliation."
From Fox News • Feb. 16, 2022
Humiliation was avoided, two weeks after being routed 5-0 by Liverpool here, but it was another encounter to reinforce just how far United has slipped behind the Premier League’s elite.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2021
Humiliation, in fact, nearly threw her off the idea of being a writer altogether.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2020
Humiliation got you there before and it’ll get us there again.
From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling
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.
