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.
“Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The first post called Holmes “a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession.”
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
What we can learn from a disgraceful chapter in American legal history.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
Lissie described this as "disgraceful and disgusting", while PC Harper's mother said she was "devastated".
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
It would be a disgraceful farce in which he, Talc, would become the clown.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
