disgraceful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disgraceful
Explanation
Anything disgraceful is shameful or shocking. No matter how angry you are at your younger sister, it would be disgraceful to destroy the Lego creation she painstakingly built. The adjective disgraceful is good for describing completely unacceptable behavior — if you do something disgraceful, you should feel ashamed about it. The internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II was a disgraceful episode in U.S. history. The word comes from the verb disgrace, "bring shame or reproach upon" or "a loss of grace."
Vocabulary lists containing disgraceful
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.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung expressed outrage over "this inhumane and disgraceful conduct" on social media during the backlash last month.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
He called the strike "totally disgraceful", adding: "I will never forgive the unions if this jeopardises their futures."
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Lawmakers and members of the public have called for a boycott of the coffee chain with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung branding the campaign as "inhumane and disgraceful".
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
“The breathtaking and disgraceful effort of Hill to undermine the jury process is unprecedented in South Carolina,” the five justices wrote in their unanimous opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Liyana said, “Estate Sale sounds disgraceful to me, as if we’re planning to display stained baby clothes and sticky ketchup bottles! I hate it!”
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
