Ignominious

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪɡnəˈmɪniəs/

Definitions

1. Marked by deep shame or disgrace in a way that attracts public scorn or dishonor, often indicating a lack of respect or dignity
2. Involving a situation or act that entails a significant loss of reputation or brings indignity, highlighting its humiliating nature
3. Describing an event or action that results in severe public shame or loss of respect

Etymology: The core of this word is a negated name. Latin "ignōminia" was built from "ig-", a variant of "in-" meaning "not", and "nōmen", meaning "name" or "good name, reputation". To be "ignominious" was, literally, to be without a good name. The Latin adjective "ignōminiōsus" added "-ōsus", a suffix meaning "full of" or "prone to", so the sense was roughly "full of disgrace". The word reached English through Late Middle English, where it meant "disgraceful, shameful", most likely via Middle French "ignominieux". Its modern sense of public humiliation, the feeling of being publicly stripped of respect, carries forward that original idea of losing one's name in the eyes of others.

Synonyms: shameful, disgraceful

Antonyms: honorable, respectable