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.
He’s a solemn figure whose body language speaks of shame and humiliation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Five months of peaceful protest had been "met with humiliation, ridicule, mockery," complained one young woman called Livia.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fans want to know who is to blame for the humiliation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Treasurys have endured the humiliation of heavy losses brought on by exploding deficits and mounting inflation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Having one’s freedom to glean taken away was a humiliation that no scythe wanted.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
