dishonor

American

[dis-on-er] / dɪsˈɒn ər /

especially British, dishonour

noun

lack or loss of honor; disgraceful or dishonest character or conduct.
disgrace; ignominy; shame.

His arrest brought dishonor to his family.
an indignity; insult.

to do someone a dishonor.
a cause of shame or disgrace.

He is a dishonor to his family.
Commerce. failure or refusal of the drawee or intended acceptor of a bill of exchange or note to accept it or, if it is accepted, to pay and retire it.

verb (used with object)

to deprive of honor; disgrace; bring reproach or shame on.
Commerce. to fail or refuse to honor or pay (a draft, check, etc.).
to rape or seduce.

Related Words

See disgrace.

Other Word Forms

dishonorer noun
undishonored adjective

Etymology

Origin of dishonor

1250–1300; Middle English dishonour (noun), dishonouren (v.) < Anglo-French, Old French; see dis- ¹, honor

Explanation

Dishonor is a state of shame and disgrace. If you were caught lip-syncing to a recording during a singing contest, you’d probably feel a sense of dishonor. Honor has to do with respect, so dishonor involves a lack of respect. If you dishonor something, you’ve brought shame to it. Athletes who cheat during a game have dishonored themselves and their teams. You can also say a shameful act brings dishonor. When a politician is involved in a scandal, it brings dishonor to his or her reputation.

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Vocabulary lists containing dishonor

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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.

Moreover, for Aristotle, hubris is not an offense against the gods but is characterized by acts that dishonor other persons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The sad state of the memorial doesn’t dishonor Kennedy, it dishonors local officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

According to Patterson, social death is a state of permanent and violent domination coupled with physical separation from one’s family or homeland and marked by a pervasive condition of dishonor.

From Salon • Nov. 10, 2024

Mr Wolff wrote that executing Dorsey "will dishonor our system of capital punishment".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2024

“I’ll need to go soon. I can’t bring dishonor on the Association. Any whisper of this, and our enemies will dance like dervishes with delight.”

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023