Dictionary

ignominiously en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˌɪɡ.nə(ʊ)ˈmɪ.ni.əs.li/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɪɡ.nəˈmɪ.ni.əs.li/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English ignominious Middle English -ly English -ly English ignominiously From ignominious + -ly (suffix forming adverbs from nouns). Ignominious is derived from Late Middle English ignominious (“disgraceful, shameful”), from Middle French ignominieux (modern French ignominieux), or from its etymon Latin ignōminiōsus (“disgraced; disgraceful, shameful, ignominious”), from ignōminia (“disgrace, dishonour, shame, ignominy”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly; prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns). Ignōminia is derived from ig- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning not)) + nōmen (“name; good name, reputation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ (“name”)) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).

Meanings

1. In a manner which is ignominious (“especially of a person: deserving of disgrace or dishonour; contemptible, despicable; (generally) causing or marked by disgrace or dishonour; disgraceful, dishonourable; also (loosely), humiliating, shameful”).
   • A window opened above the shop, and a frowsty-looking man, yellow-pale, was quickly and nervously hauling in the national flag. There were shouts of derision and mockery—a great overtone of acrid derision—the flag and its owner ignominiously disappeared. 1918–1921 (date written), D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “XX Settembre”, in Aaron’s Rod, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, published April 1922, →OCLC, page 215:
   • But his [James Dewey Watson]'s official career there ended ignominiously in 2007 after he ignited an uproar by suggesting, in an interview with The Sunday Times in London, that Black people, over all, were not as intelligent as white people. 2025 November 7, Cornelia Dean, “James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, is dead at 97”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, published 17 November 2025 (update), →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026:
   • Men ignorant in letters, ſtudious for their bellies, and ignominiouſly lazie, vnleſſe ſome fevv that giue themſelues to nauigation; and become indifferent good Pilots. 1615, George Sandys, “The Second Booke”, in The Relation of a Iourney Begun An: Dom: 1610. […], London: […] [Richard Field] for W. Barrett, →OCLC, page 89:
   • He laughed rather ruefully, as he described how he had discovered a very rare species of fern in an inaccessible place, and in his efforts to obtain it had lost his footing, and slipped ignominiously into a neighbouring pond. 1920 October, Agatha Christie, “The 16th and 17th of July”, in The Mysterious Affair at Styles […], New York, N.Y.; London: Grosset & Dunlap, published March 1927, page 41:
   • But the death of the royal captive, vvho vvas ignominiouſly beheaded, diſgraced the triumph of Rome and of Chriſtianity; […] 1781, Edward Gibbon, chapter XXX, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume III, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 203:

Forms

Translations (21)

el ατιμωτικά (in a manner which is ignominious) · fr ignominieusement (in a manner which is ignominious) · it ignominiosamente (in a manner which is ignominious) · hy խայտառակաբար (in a manner which is ignominious) · es ignominiosamente (in a manner which is ignominious) · ar شَائِن m or شَائِنَة (in a manner which is ignominious) · pl haniebnie (in a manner which is ignominious) · pl niegodziwie (in a manner which is ignominious) · la foedē (in a manner which is ignominious) · xcl խայտառակաբար (in a manner which is ignominious) · ar مُخْزٍ (in a manner which is ignominious) · pl podle (in a manner which is ignominious) · ka მდაბლად (in a manner which is ignominious) · pl sromotnie (in a manner which is ignominious) · sv snöpligt (in a manner which is ignominious) · ru посты́дно (in a manner which is ignominious) · de schmachvoll (in a manner which is ignominious) · xcl խայտառակ (in a manner which is ignominious) · mk неславно (in a manner which is ignominious) · ar مُذِلّ m or مُذِلَّة (in a manner which is ignominious) · fi häpeällisesti (in a manner which is ignominious)