disgrace

1 of 2

verb

dis·​grace di-ˈskrās 

dis-ˈgrās

disgraced; disgracing; disgraces

transitive verb

1

: to be a source of shame to

Your actions disgraced the family.

2

: to cause to lose favor (see favor entry 1 sense 1a(2)) or standing

was disgraced by the hint of scandal

3

archaic : to humiliate by a superior showing

thy whiteness … shall disgrace the swan

—Robert Browning

disgracer noun

disgrace

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the condition of one fallen from grace : the condition of one who has lost honor (see honor entry 1 sense 1a)

left in disgrace

b

: loss of grace, favor, or honor

brought disgrace upon the family

2

: a source of shame

Your manners are a disgrace.

He's a disgrace to the profession.

Synonyms

Verb

• abase
• chasten
• cheapen
• debase
• degrade
• demean
• discredit
• dishonor
• foul
• humble
• humiliate
• lower
• shame
• sink
• smirch
• take down

Noun

• discredit
• disesteem
• dishonor
• disrepute
• ignominy
• infamy
• obloquy
• odium
• opprobrium
• reproach
• shame

Choose the Right Synonym for disgrace

disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, infamy, ignominy mean the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach.

disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

Examples of disgrace in a Sentence

Verb

Many feel that the mayor has disgraced the town government by accepting personal favors from local businesspeople.

He felt he had disgraced himself by failing at school.

Noun

The secret was protected out of a fear of political disgrace.

Many feel that the mayor has brought disgrace upon the town.

She was forced to leave in disgrace.

His table manners are a disgrace.

The health-care system is a national disgrace.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

They've been disgraced due to allegations that Valya's great grandfather committed a war crime, but Valya insists the claims are false. —Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 15 Nov. 2024

To not do so would disgrace the country and strip the Senate of all credibility. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Nov. 2024

Noun

His first term ended in disgrace, with his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results culminating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

But in 1892, Charles Lummis — Los Angeles’ pioneering historian, ethnographer, and founder of the Southwest Museum — was writing furiously in The Times about the disgrace of Indian schools. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French, from Old Italian disgrazia, from dis- (from Latin) + grazia grace, from Latin gratia — more at grace

First Known Use

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing disgrace

• it is no disgrace

Kids Definition

disgrace

1 of 2 verb

dis·​grace dis-ˈgrās 

disgraced; disgracing

: to bring shame to

disgracer noun

disgrace

2 of 2 noun

1

: the condition of being looked down on : loss of respect

in disgrace with one's schoolmates

2

: dishonor entry 1 sense 1, shame

the disgrace of being a coward

3

: a cause of shame

that person's manners are a disgrace

disgraceful

dis-ˈgrās-fəl

adjective

disgracefully

-fə-lē

adverb

disgracefulness noun