Englisch

indignity

gb/ɪndˈɪɡnəti/ us/ɪndˈɪɡnəti/
C1 Englisch
Bedeutungen
0 Bedeutungen
Nomen formal C1 abstract
1

humiliating or insulting treatment

an experience that makes you feel embarrassed or disrespected.

Verwendungsmuster: the indignity of [situation]; suffer/endure an indignity; subject [someone] to indignities
Häufiger Fehler:
Often confused with indignation (the feeling of anger about unfairness). Indignity is the humiliating experience or treatment.
Synonyme
humiliation (focuses on being made to feel ashamed.) | insult (can be less formal and may refer to words as well as treatment.) | affront (emphasizes a deliberate or serious insult.) | degradation (suggests lowering someone’s status or dignity in a harsh way.)
Antonyme
dignity (the state of being respected and valued.) | respect (polite, considerate treatment.) | honor (high respect or recognition of worth.)
Wortverbindungen
the indignity of |suffer an indignity |endure indignities |subject someone to indignities |public indignity |personal indignity |added indignity |avoidable indignity |a sense of indignity |to feel the indignity
Themen
emotions |relationships |society
Beispiele
  • He accepted the indignity of being searched in public to avoid missing his flight.
  • The policy forced patients to endure indignities that could easily have been prevented.
  • She refused to put up with the indignity of being spoken to like a child.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • I felt an indignity when they laughed at me.
  • No one should suffer that kind of indignity.
Nomen formal C1 event
2

a humiliating act or incident

one specific thing that makes you feel embarrassed or disrespected.

Verwendungsmuster: an indignity; a small/minor indignity; an added indignity
Häufiger Fehler:
In the singular, it usually means one particular humiliating incident; in the plural, it often means many such incidents over time.
Synonyme
humiliation (more common; can refer to both the feeling and the event.) | slight (often a smaller, less serious insult.) | mortification (emphasizes intense embarrassment.)
Antonyme
compliment (a remark or act showing approval or admiration.) | courtesy (polite behavior that shows respect.)
Wortverbindungen
a minor indignity |a small indignity |an added indignity |a fresh indignity |a further indignity |a daily indignity |a petty indignity |one more indignity |a series of indignities |an unnecessary indignity
Themen
emotions |daily_life |society
Beispiele
  • Being asked to prove her identity again felt like a needless indignity.
  • The coach’s comments were just one more indignity in a difficult season.
  • They laughed it off as a minor indignity and moved on.
Beispiele für Lernende
  • Waiting outside in the rain was an added indignity.
  • That comment was an indignity.
Nomen formal C2 state
3

state of being undignified

a situation where someone has lost dignity or respect.

Verwendungsmuster: sink/fall into indignity
Häufiger Fehler:
Less common in everyday speech than the 'humiliating treatment/incident' senses; it can sound literary.
Synonyme
disgrace (often implies loss of respect because of wrongdoing or failure.) | ignominy (more literary; emphasizes public shame.)
Antonyme
prestige (high status and respect.) | honor (public respect and a sense of worth.)
Wortverbindungen
sink into indignity |fall into indignity |live in indignity |drag someone into indignity |a life of indignity
Themen
emotions |society
Beispiele
  • He feared that accepting the deal would mean living in indignity for the rest of his life.
  • Without support, many older people slip into poverty and indignity.
  • The memoir describes the slow descent into indignity after the scandal.
Grammatik
Grundform
indignity
IPA
GB/ɪndˈɪɡnəti/
US/ɪndˈɪɡnəti/
Silben & Betonung
in - dig - nity (3 Silben)
Stress on 2nd syllable (dig)
Wortformen
Noun
  • Base: indignity
  • Plural: indignities, indignity
Wortfamilie
Forms
indignities noun
Core family
dignity noun B2 dignified adjective B2
Related words
dignify verb C1 indignant adjective B2 indignation noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
undignified adjective
Advanced or less common
indignantly adverb C1
Ausdrücke

one indignity after another

1
/wˈʌn ɪndˈɪɡnəti ˈæftɚ ənˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase formal

many humiliations in a row

many humiliating things happen again and again.

Beispiele
  • The whole trip was one indignity after another, from lost bags to rude staff.
  • After the injury, it was one indignity after another during his recovery.
  • Trying to fix the mistake turned into one indignity after another.

subject [someone] to indignities

1
/səbd͡ʒˈɛkt sˈʌmwˌʌn tə ɪndˈɪɡnətiz/
fixed phrase formal

treat someone humiliatingly

to make someone experience many humiliations.

Beispiele
  • The report said detainees were subjected to indignities on a daily basis.
  • No employee should be subjected to indignities just to keep a job.
  • They accused the officials of subjecting residents to needless indignities.

suffer an indignity

1
/sˈʌfɚ ən ɪndˈɪɡnəti/
fixed phrase formal

be forced to endure humiliation

to experience something that makes you feel ashamed or disrespected.

Beispiele
  • Passengers suffered the indignity of being questioned for hours without explanation.
  • He refused to suffer the indignity of apologizing for something he hadn’t done.
  • Many workers suffer indignities that would not be accepted in other industries.

the final indignity

1
/ðə fˈaɪnəl ɪndˈɪɡnəti/
fixed phrase formal

last humiliating event

the last bad, humiliating thing that happens.

Beispiele
  • The final indignity was being asked to clean up the mess he hadn’t made.
  • For her, the final indignity came when her work was credited to someone else.
  • After hours of delays, being turned away at the gate felt like the final indignity.

the indignity of [something]

1
/ðə ɪndˈɪɡnəti əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase formal

humiliating aspect of something

used to say something is humiliating.

Beispiele
  • He dreaded the indignity of having to ask his parents for money again.
  • She spoke about the indignity of being ignored by the staff.
  • They endured the indignity of sleeping on the floor for weeks.

Willkommen zurück!

Bitte melde dich an, um fortzufahren.

Noch kein Konto? Registrieren