humiliation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of humiliating or being humiliated.
-
the state or feeling of being humiliated; mortification.
- Synonyms:
- dishonor, degradation
Synonym Usage
See shame.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humiliation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin humiliātiōn- (stem of humiliātiō ). See humiliate, -ion
Explanation
Humiliation describes a strong feeling of embarrassment or mortification — like that time in sixth grade when your mother wiped your face and called you "honey bunny" in front of all your friends. Humiliation comes from the Latin word humiliare, which means "to humble." So if you are caught in a situation that causes humiliation, you are humbled — with a loss of self-esteem and self-respect. If you become a politician, for example, and you campaign on a platform of family values, don't get caught cheating on your spouse; the public humiliation may be enough to drive you out of politics.
Vocabulary lists containing humiliation
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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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.
Difficult emotions like shame, humiliation, regret, fear and sadness often show up as anger, and that’s when insults can turn hurtful and corrosive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
This looked like a humiliation ritual to me: Crowley wasn’t polling competitively even when he was actively campaigning, and it seemed unlikely that his brand could be rehabilitated with such little time left.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Protecting ourselves from that humiliation is a very human instinct, and that’s what a lot of our jokes are about.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But former England all-rounder David Willey performed an admirable rescue act and saved Spirit from humiliation with 83 not out from 46 balls as the visiting side finished on 204-6.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
And mostly it brought shame and humiliation to Germany.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
