ignominious

adjective

ig·​no·​min·​i·​ous ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs 

1

: humiliating, degrading

an ignominious defeat

2

: deserving of shame or infamy : despicable

3

: marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable

ignominiously adverb

ignominiousness noun

Did you know?

The "-nom-" of "ignominious" comes from "nomen," the Latin word for "name" or "repute." (It's also the root of "misnomer," "nomenclature," and "nominal," among others.) The "ig-" part of the word is akin to the negative prefix in-; when joined to the root "-nom-," it indicates the namelessness that goes with shame or dishonor. To suffer an ignominious fate is to lose the opportunity to make a name for oneself or to lose one's good name. When "ignominious" was first borrowed from a French form of the word in the 15th century, it meant "disgraced" or "dishonorable." "Ignominious" continues to have such meanings, but it also has somewhat milder meanings - "embarrassing" and "humiliating."

Synonyms

• discreditable
• disgraceful
• dishonorable
• disreputable
• infamous
• louche
• notorious
• opprobrious
• shady
• shameful
• shoddy
• shy
• unrespectable

Examples of ignominious in a Sentence

some of his friends considered the low-level job to be an ignominious fate for the laid-off executive

the prison guards degraded themselves with their inhumane, ignominious treatment of the prisoners

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet their ignominious reputation has persisted, and many drinkers, particularly older ones, turn their noses up. —Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Didn’t his ignominious end—crucifixion was Rome’s punishment for renegades and slaves—contradict his claim to be divine? —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025

Instead, that demonstration came to an ignominious end when NASA decided the troubled Boeing vehicle wasn't up to the task of transporting its crew back to Earth. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025

Sutherland earned an ignominious assist on the game-winning goal early in the third period Wednesday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, at Scotiabank Arena. —Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

ignominious

adjective

ig·​no·​min·​i·​ous ˌig-nə-ˈmin-ē-əs 

: causing disgrace or shame

an ignominious defeat

ignominiously adverb