dishonor 1 of 2

dishonor

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun dishonor differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dishonor are disgrace, disrepute, ignominy, and infamy. While all these words mean "the state or condition of suffering loss of esteem and of enduring reproach," dishonor emphasizes the loss of honor that one has enjoyed or the loss of self-esteem.

preferred death to life with dishonor

In what contexts can disgrace take the place of dishonor?

While the synonyms disgrace and dishonor are close in meaning, disgrace often implies humiliation and sometimes ostracism.

sent home in disgrace

When would disrepute be a good substitute for dishonor?

The words disrepute and dishonor can be used in similar contexts, but disrepute stresses loss of one's good name or the acquiring of a bad reputation.

a once proud name fallen into disrepute

Where would ignominy be a reasonable alternative to dishonor?

The meanings of ignominy and dishonor largely overlap; however, ignominy stresses humiliation.

the ignominy of being arrested

When can infamy be used instead of dishonor?

While in some cases nearly identical to dishonor, infamy usually implies notoriety as well as exceeding shame.

a day that lives in infamy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dishonor
Noun
A little knowledge can go a long way toward maximizing what makes hosting fun and minimizing the worry your feast will lead to a lifetime of dishonor. Keren Landman, Vox, 27 Nov. 2024 Macbeth’s themes of deceit and dishonor sit squarely within the director's filmography while also crafting one of the most atmospheric and affecting Shakespeare works to date. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2024
Verb
Our families could be dishonored in public, our personal memories confiscated for storage inside the Criminal Archives. Hazlitt, 13 May 2025 The pain of feeling misunderstood and the fear of dishonoring her grandmother compounded her grief. Ashley Vega, People.com, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for dishonor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dishonor
Noun
  • There was no disgrace in his failure to force a spot ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones in the pecking order of attacking midfielders.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Statements in Tallahassee and Tampa Florida State opened the season receiving eight votes in the AP poll after last season’s 2-10 disgrace.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • All 14 of the ex-Antioch and Pittsburg officers to be charged have pleaded guilty or been convicted of some law violation, including participating in a college degree fraud scandal, accepting bribes, firearms violations and real estate fraud.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The announcements offer rare good news for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party lags in the polls and who has lost his deputy prime minister, his US ambassador, and a senior advisor over separate scandals in just a week.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Continually moving the goalposts or using testing to humiliate or control can cause relational harm.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There is no shame in a nonlinear path, no imperfection in a winding career.
    Barbara Wittmann, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Sometimes, when patients and doctors shame insurers online, denials get overturned.
    Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Holmes likewise discredited the MS-13 accusation, for which prosecutors relied on the testimony of coöperating witnesses who either contradicted one another or were otherwise unreliable.
    Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The Cordell report has since been discredited — missing transcripts, factual errors and even confusion of key witnesses.
    Matthew J. Frauenfeld, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Good, because there is one Duck — Justin Herbert — who will happily embarrass them.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The team that embarrassed the Rams at SoFi Stadium in November.
    Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 18 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dishonor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dishonor. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dishonor

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