indignity

noun

in·​dig·​ni·​ty in-ˈdig-nə-tē How to pronounce indignity (audio)
plural indignities
1
a
: an act that offends against a person's dignity or self-respect : insult
b
: humiliating treatment
2
obsolete : lack or loss of dignity or honor

Examples of indignity in a Sentence

He remembers all the indignities he had to suffer in the early years of his career. We must endure the indignities of growing old. He suffered the indignity of being forced to leave the courtroom. The indignity of it all was too much to bear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Democrats hammer indignity of Padilla episode Hours after senior U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from a press briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, House Democrats roamed the Capitol seeking an audience with GOP leadership. Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 14 June 2025 Some clients, such as the persistent, sympathetic Sophie (a terrifically brittle Zoë Winters), endure the indignities of the process in good faith, desperately submitting to one fruitless date after another. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 In December 2014, a jury convicted Magnotta of first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a human body, publishing obscene material and mailing obscene and indecent material. Jessica Sager, People.com, 25 May 2025 Their boyfriends, meanwhile, suffer the painful indignities of paper cutters, buzzsaws, and other sharp objects. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for indignity

Word History

Etymology

Latin indignitat-, indignitas, from indignus

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of indignity was in 1581

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indignity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indignity. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

indignity

noun
in·​dig·​ni·​ty in-ˈdig-nət-ē How to pronounce indignity (audio)
plural indignities
1
: an act that injures a person's dignity or self-respect : insult
2
: humiliating treatment

Legal Definition

indignity

noun
in·​dig·​ni·​ty in-ˈdig-nə-tē How to pronounce indignity (audio)
plural indignities
: persistent and intolerable behavior toward a spouse especially as a manifestation of settled estrangement

More from Merriam-Webster on indignity

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