- Today's Word
Ignominious
ig-nuh-MIN-ee-uhs
Definition
- (adjective) Deserving or causing public disgrace, shame, or humiliation.
Example
The team suffered an ignominious defeat after losing by a record-breaking margin.
Fun Fact
“Ignominious” comes from the Latin ignominia, which combines in- (“not”) and nomen (“name” or “reputation”), meaning “without a good name.” Throughout history, ignominious punishments—such as public shaming—were used to enforce social order. Today, the word is often used to describe humiliating losses, scandals, or embarrassing failures.
(adjective) Wildly unrealistic or fanciful; existing only in the imagination and having no basis in reality.
Critics called the startup’s plan to colonize Mars within five years chimerical — bold in vision, impossible in practice.