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
Derived 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.
That is not necessarily a humiliation for the longtime reality TV star.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
By the time England take the field for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday it will be 145 days since their Ashes humiliation was completed in Sydney.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
In historical terms, Suez is a byword for the humiliation of a once-great but declining power.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
"That wasn't a humiliation but a logical response to a given situation."
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
I had grandparents who’d lived through the horror of Jim Crow laws and the humiliation of housing discrimination and basically mistrusted authority of any sort.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
