• Today's Word

Ignominious

🔊 Listen to the word 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.