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ignominious

adjective

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L337472 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˌɪɡ.nə(ʊ)ˈmɪ.ni.əs/ / /ɪɡ.nəˈmɪ.ni.əs/

adj

Etymology: 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- (variant of in- (prefix meaning not) + nōmen (“name; good name, reputation”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ (“name”)) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). By surface analysis, ignominy + -ious (suffix forming adjectives from nouns denoting the presence of a quality in any degree, typically an abundance).

  1. Especially of a person: deserving of disgrace or dishonour; contemptible, despicable.
  2. Causing or marked by disgrace or dishonour; disgraceful, dishonourable; also (loosely), humiliating, shameful.

    The time when the pseudovirtuous men and women die a painful and ignominious death has yet to come.

    Hath he not tvvit our Soueraigne Lady here / VVith ignominious vvords, though Clarkely coucht? / As if ſhe had ſuborned ſome to ſvveare / Falſe allegations, to o'rethrovv his ſtate.