ignominious

English

WOTD – 15 May 2006

Etymology

From French or Old French ignominieux, from Latin ignōminiōsus (disgraceful), from ignōminia (loss of a good name, ignominy), from ig- (not) + nomen (name) (prefix assimilated form of in-). Surface analysis ignominy + -ious.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪɡnəˈmɪnɪəs/
  • (file)

Adjective

ignominious (comparative more ignominious, superlative most ignominious)

  1. Marked by shame or disgrace.
    • 1902, Thomas Ebenezer Webb, The Mystery of William Shakespeare: A Summary of Evidence, page 242:
      Greene died of a debauch; and Marlowe, the gracer of tragedians, perished in an ignominious brawl.
    • 1945 August 17, George Orwell, chapter 6, in Animal Farm: A Fairy Story, London: Secker & Warburg, OCLC 3655473:
      In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year.
    • 2016 June 27, Daniel Taylor, “England humiliated as Iceland knock them out of Euro 2016”, in The Guardian, London:
      For Roy Hodgson it was a desperate and ignominious way to end his four years as England manager. Whatever else happened in that time, his period in office will probably always be remembered for the full-on humiliation that accompanied this defeat and the knowledge it will rank among the more infamous results in the history of the national team.
    • 2017 June 7, Adam Lusher, “Adnan Khashoggi: the 'whoremonger' whose arms deals funded a playboy life of decadence and 'pleasure wives'”, in The Independent, London:
      And yet it also seems that Khashoggi avoided anything as ignominious as personal bankruptcy.

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