- Today's Word
Ignominious
Ignominious
ig-nuh-MIN-ee-us
Definition
(adjective) Deserving or causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace.
Example
The team’s ignominious defeat became the talk of the league for weeks.
Word Origin
From Latin ignominia, meaning “disgrace” (in- “not” + nomen “name, reputation”).
Fun Fact
In older English, an ignominious punishment meant one designed to publicly shame the offender—branding, stocks, dunce caps, and other visible displays of dishonor. Today, the word is most often used metaphorically, describing humiliating losses, failures, or scandals. Its power comes from the social nature of shame: an ignominious moment sticks not because you remember it… but because everyone else does.
