disgrace
Americannoun
-
the loss of respect, honor, or esteem; ignominy; shame.
the disgrace of criminals.
- Synonyms:
- taint, notoriety, disapprobation, disapproval
- Antonyms:
- honor
-
a person, act, or thing that causes shame, reproach, or dishonor or is dishonorable or shameful.
-
the state of being out of favor; exclusion from favor, confidence, or trust.
courtiers and ministers in disgrace.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a condition of shame, loss of reputation, or dishonour
-
a shameful person, thing, or state of affairs
-
exclusion from confidence or trust
he is in disgrace with his father
verb
-
to bring shame upon; be a discredit to
-
to treat or cause to be treated with disfavour
Synonym Usage
Disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, infamy imply a very low position in the opinion of others. Disgrace implies the disfavor of others: to be in disgrace. Dishonor implies a stain on honor or honorable reputation; it relates especially to the person's own conduct: He preferred death to dishonor. Ignominy is disgrace in which one's situation invites contempt: the ignominy of being discovered cheating. Infamy is shameful notoriety, or baseness of action or character that is widely known and recognized: The children never outlived the father's infamy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
disgracernoun
-
predisgracenoun
-
self-disgracenoun
-
quasi-disgracedadjective
-
self-disgracedadjective
-
self-disgracingadjective
-
undisgracedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disgracesimple
-
disgracessimple
-
have disgracedperfect
-
has disgracedperfect
-
am disgracingprogressive
-
are disgracingprogressive
-
is disgracingprogressive
-
have been disgracingperfect progressive
-
has been disgracingperfect progressive
Past
-
disgracedsimple
-
had disgracedperfect
-
was disgracingprogressive
-
were disgracingprogressive
-
had been disgracingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disgrace
1540–50; (noun) < Middle French < Italian disgrazia, equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + grazia < Latin gratia ( see grace); (v.) < Middle French disgracier < Italian disgraziare, derivative of disgrazia
Explanation
Use the verb disgrace to say that someone has brought shame upon himself. Your brother might disgrace himself at the family reunion by being rude to your Uncle Bob. You probably notice that grace makes up a big part of disgrace. Combine this with the dis- prefix, meaning “the opposite of,” and you get a word that involves shame and dishonor. Think of disgrace as a kind of fall from grace — it’s what happens when you do something that causes you to lose favor or damages your reputation. You could disgrace yourself by losing your tennis match badly, or you could disgrace yourself by cheating on an exam.
Vocabulary lists containing disgrace
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Excerpts from "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Sporting Spirit"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The painter and writer Lachlan Goudie told BBC Scotland News the possibility of the art school not being restored to its former self was a disgrace.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Just two months after issuing that ruling, the judge resigned in disgrace rather than face removal from the bench.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
He called the verdict a disgrace and said he had never met Carroll.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
"If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
I pushed him into a snowbank, and Mother sent me home in disgrace.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
The half-hour series stars Glen Powell as Russ Holliday, a former star college quarterback for a big-name team who disgraces himself during the Rose Bowl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
Officers aren’t allowed to conduct themselves in a way that personally disgraces them or dishonors the military profession, according to military law cited by the newspaper.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2022
What’s disappointing is the degree to which its exercise of muscle exposes and disgraces others.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021
The real Sin-Eater is caught by Spider-Man, though, which disgraces Brock and causes him to hate Spider-Man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2018
But they had sent her back to her own mother and father, a mysterious act hinting at disgraces not told me.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
It’s not like Journalism has been disgraced during his four-race winless streak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The daughter of the late, disgraced ex-leader Alberto Fujimori will succeed interim leader Jose Maria Balcazar on July 28 and govern until 2031.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Like many others who have spoken to the committee as it investigates Epstein's connections to the wealthy and powerful, Black said the disgraced financier had deceived him.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Fellow economists Marina Gertsberg, Ekaterina Volkova and I found that the disgraced financier effectively wired corporate America into a denser, more tightly interconnected network.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Camel limps weakly behind, popping his head around one side, and then falling back and running along the other like a disgraced puppy.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
“I have learned hard lessons from this experience, including disgracing my family and destroying my career and reputation,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025
He argues they ruined his life by painting him as a callous man who had broken the moral and legal rules of war, disgracing his country in the process.
From BBC ● May 30, 2023
"The disgracing of a dead body and setting it on fire are strictly forbidden in Islam," the court ruled.
From Reuters ● Apr. 19, 2022
“You are disgracing this city, you are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country,” she added.
From Fox News ● May 30, 2020
“You’re so experienced, and you know about the circus—about the animals—and...you could help me to—to get through it without crying and disgracing my father.”
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
