indignity
Americannoun
-
an injury to a person's dignity; slighting or contemptuous treatment; humiliating affront, insult, or injury.
- Synonyms:
- outrage
-
Obsolete. disgrace or disgraceful action.
noun
-
injury to one's self-esteem or dignity; humiliation
-
obsolete disgrace or disgraceful character or conduct
Synonym Usage
See insult.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of indignity
First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin indignitās “unworthiness,” equivalent to indign(us) “undeserving, unworthy”( see indign) + -itās -ity
Explanation
An indignity is something embarrassing. An indignity is usually something that happens to us rather than something we do ourselves. As you might guess from that negative prefix in-, an indignity is a word that takes dignity (or self-esteem) away. If you find a fly in your soup, that's an indignity — not to mention protein. If you're making a speech and you realize your fly is open, that's a major indignity. Many people find waiting in line a long time to be an indignity. When you say "This is an indignity!" you're really saying, "I'm better than this, and I shouldn't have to deal with it." Needless to say, life is full of indignities.
Vocabulary lists containing indignity
Things Fall Apart
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"My Wonder Horse," Vocabulary from the short story
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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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.
It was even more of an indignity because Haley lived in and around Knoxville, Tennessee, for long periods of his life.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
The Angels’ ultimate indignity is its own hometown newspaper doesn’t regard it highly enough to staff its games with a full-time writer.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
You can call that depressing, or an indignity, or a simple fact.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026
In once again going 3-0 down after three matches, they are left to battle against the indignity of a 5-0 clean sweep.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
It was a grit-your-teeth, close-your-eyes, take-a-deep breath kind of indignity.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
