indignity
Americannoun
plural
indignities-
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
Related Words
See insult.
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.
This article is from Indignity, a twice-weekly newsletter of essays, commentary, reporting, and—also this week—volleys in the war on cars.
From Slate • May 13, 2022
A director’s cut of this Q&A appears in Indignity, a newsletter by Tom Scocca.
From Slate • Nov. 20, 2021
Indignity by indignity, affront by affront, the lecturer carefully guides his students through the work.
From Time Magazine Archive
Indignity was rather a big word, coming from him unexpectedly out of his vague recollection, and he halted to stiffen with a better opinion of himself.
From Old Ebenezer by Read, Opie Percival
Indignity to George Rose would be felt by the smallest nummary gentleman in the king's employ; and Mr. John Bannister could not be indifferent to anything which happened to Mr. Canning.
From Peter Plymley's Letters, and selected essays by Smith, Sydney
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.
