disgraceful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- disgracefully adverb
- disgracefulness noun
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.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones called the incidents "disgraceful" and urged police to use all the tools at their disposal to protect workers and punish those responsible.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
‘Regardless of whether or not the move is legal, it is certainly disgraceful, despicable, reprehensible, loathsome, outrageous and just plain truly pathetic,’ writes an L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
“I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
“I haven’t even dared to smile. I’m afraid if I let myself go an inch I’ll do something disgraceful again. But Mercy smiles all day long, and still keeps order.”
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
