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Synonyms

disgraceful

American  
[dis-greys-fuhl] / dɪsˈgreɪs fəl /

adjective

  1. bringing or deserving disgrace; shameful; dishonorable; disreputable.


disgraceful British  
/ dɪsˈɡreɪsfʊl /

adjective

  1. shameful; scandalous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of disgraceful

First recorded in 1585–95; disgrace + -ful

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."

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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.

"Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker called the display "Unimaginable" and "Disgraceful" in a tweet to her fans.

From Fox News • Jan. 8, 2021

Disgraceful behavior by the Black Keys, Ticketmaster, and the Wiltern.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2019

"Disgraceful - but nothing will erase for an instant the legacy John McCain has written and is still writing every day," McCain wrote on Twitter.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2018

Disgraceful - but nothing will erase for an instant the legacy John McCain has written and is still writing every day.

From Washington Post • Aug. 14, 2018

Disgraceful as this manifesto was to those who put it forth, it was not unskilfully framed for the purpose of stimulating the passions of the vulgar.

From The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 1 by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron