disgrace

disgrace — noun

1. the shame you feel and the respect you lose from people around you when you have

1.nounB2
Definition

the shame you feel and the respect you lose from people around you when you have done something wrong

Example

Esme felt deep disgrace after lying to her closest friend about the missing money.

collocation: 'deep disgrace' for strong shame

The politician was forced to resign in disgrace after the scandal was made public.

pattern: 'in disgrace' as adverbial phrase

Common collocations
  • deep disgrace
  • public disgrace
  • in disgrace
  • bring disgrace on/upon
  • fall into disgrace
  • live in disgrace
Synonyms
  • shame

    more general feeling; 'disgrace' implies a public loss of respect

  • dishonour

    more formal; emphasises lost honour rather than lost respect

  • humiliation

    focuses on the feeling of being embarrassed in front of others

  • ignominy

    much more formal and literary; public shame from failure or defeat

Antonyms
  • honour

    respect and admiration from others

  • glory

    great honour and praise from achievements

Grammar Patterns

in disgrace

a disgrace

bring disgrace on/upon [someone]

Usage Note

Often used in the fixed phrase 'in disgrace' to describe someone who has been rejected or sent away because of their bad behaviour. Common modifiers include 'deep,' 'public,' and 'great.'

Common Mistakes

He left in a disgrace.
He left in disgrace.
'in disgrace' is a fixed phrase with no article.
She brought disgrace to her family.
She brought disgrace on her family.
the correct preposition is 'on,' not 'to.'

2. a situation or condition that is completely unacceptable and makes you feel angr

2.nounB2
Definition

a situation or condition that is completely unacceptable and makes you feel angry or shocked

Example

The hospital waiting room was a disgrace — patients sat on the floor for hours.

pattern: '[something] is a disgrace' for unacceptable condition

"It is a disgrace that the school still has no running water," said the teacher.

pattern: 'it is a disgrace that…'

Common collocations
  • absolute disgrace
  • complete disgrace
  • utter disgrace
  • public disgrace
  • a disgrace that
  • what a disgrace
Synonyms
  • outrage

    stronger anger; emphasises moral violation more than just bad quality

  • scandal

    something that shocks people and involves wrongdoing or cover-ups

Grammar Patterns

a disgrace

it is a disgrace that…

what a disgrace

Usage Note

Always used with an article or determiner — 'a disgrace' or 'a[n] X disgrace.' Never used bare. Common intensifiers are 'absolute,' 'complete,' 'utter,' and 'public.' The construction 'it is a disgrace that…' is especially frequent.

Common Mistakes

This room is disgrace.
This room is a disgrace.
a countable noun in this sense needs an article.
It's disgrace that nobody helps.
It's a disgrace that nobody helps.
indefinite article 'a' is required.

3. someone or something whose terrible quality makes everyone in the same group los

3.nounC1
Definition

someone or something whose terrible quality makes everyone in the same group lose the respect of others

Example

The former champion became a disgrace to boxing after refusing to follow safety rules.

pattern: 'a disgrace to [field/sport]'

Dewi's father told her that lying to customers was a disgrace to the family business.

Common collocations
  • a disgrace to
  • a disgrace to the profession
  • a disgrace to the family
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • credit

    someone who makes their group look good — 'a credit to the team'

  • pride

    something that makes a group feel proud — 'the pride of the school'

Grammar Patterns

a disgrace to [group/noun]

Usage Note

Follows the fixed structure 'a disgrace to + [group noun].' The group can be a profession ('a disgrace to the teaching profession'), an institution ('a disgrace to the university'), or a social unit ('a disgrace to the family'). Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes a bad situation in general ('the room is a disgrace'), while sense 3 specifically ties the bad thing to a group that is shamed through association.

Common Mistakes

He is disgrace to his team.
He is a disgrace to his team.
the article 'a' is necessary even in this pattern.
She is a disgrace for her country.
She is a disgrace to her country.
use 'to,' not 'for.'

disgrace — verb

Word family

  • disgraceful
    adjectiveB2
  • disgracefully
    adverbC1
  • disgraced
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe negative feelings tied to how others see you, but they differ in intensity and scope. 'Shame' is the broadest — a painful feeling from doing something wrong, whether or not anyone knows about it. 'Disgrace' adds the element of public exposure: you have lost the respect of a group or community. 'Dishonour' is more formal and focuses on a loss of reputation or integrity, often within a professional or institutional context — a soldier who surrenders brings dishonour on his regiment. 'Humiliation' is the most visceral: the acute, crushing embarrassment of being exposed as foolish or inadequate in front of others, such as the humiliation of tripping on stage. 'Embarrassment' is the mildest — awkwardness rather than deep shame, and usually temporary. Roughly ordering by severity: embarrassment → shame → disgrace → humiliation → dishonour.

shame ↗dishonourhumiliationembarrassment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • disgrace + of + noun
  • disgrace + that-clause

Adverbs

  • publicly disgraced
  • utterly disgraced

Phrases

  • a disgrace to the profession
  • in disgrace
  • a complete disgrace
  • a public disgrace
  • disgrace the family name

Prepositions

  • in disgrace
  • a disgrace to
  • disgrace by [doing]
  • bring disgrace on/upon

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'disgrace' entered English in the 16th century from French 'disgrâce' (loss of favour), which came from Italian 'disgrazia'. The 'dis-' prefix means 'away' or 'reversal,' and the root 'grace' comes from Latin 'gratia' (favour, kindness, esteem). So the literal history of the word is 'a reversal of favour' — the opposite of being in someone's good graces. The modern meaning of public shame and lost respect developed from this sense of having fallen out of favour with a person or community.