disgraceful
gb/dɪsɡɹˈeɪsfəl/ us/dɪsɡɹˈeɪsfəl/
B2
English
~ 8400
szégyenletes, gyalázatos, botrányos, elfogadhatatlan, minősíthetetlen
B2
1
szégyenletes
B2
gyalázatos
C1
Usage pattern:
[disgraceful] [behavior/action/situation]; it is disgraceful that [clause]
The minister’s refusal to apologize was absolutely disgraceful.
A miniszter részéről teljesen szégyenletes volt, hogy nem volt hajlandó bocsánatot kérni.
Many people felt the way the company treated its workers was downright disgraceful.
Sokan úgy érezték, hogy egyenesen szégyenletes, ahogyan a cég a dolgozóival bánik.
It is disgraceful that vulnerable patients were left without basic care.
The crowd’s racist chanting was widely condemned as disgraceful.
Journalists called the cover-up a disgraceful attempt to hide the truth.
Learner examples
His comments about women were disgraceful.
A nőkről tett megjegyzései szégyenletesek voltak.
It is disgraceful that the children were left alone at night.
Szégyenletes, hogy a gyerekeket éjszakára egyedül hagyták.
The way they spoke to the waiter was truly disgraceful.
People thought the government’s slow response was disgraceful.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "disgraceful" with "disgraced." "Disgraceful" describes behavior or things that cause shame (e.g., "disgraceful behavior"), while "disgraced" describes a person who has lost respect because of their actions (e.g., "a disgraced athlete"). Learners may also overuse it for small problems, but in English it usually suggests strong moral disapproval, not just a minor issue.
Meaning
morally shocking and shameful
Collocations
disgraceful behavior
|disgraceful conduct
|disgraceful treatment
|disgraceful scenes
|disgraceful state
Synonyms
shameful (Very close in meaning; focuses strongly on the idea of deserving shame.)
|
outrageous (Emphasizes shock and anger; can be slightly more emotional or dramatic.)
|
scandalous (Often used when the bad behavior is widely known and talked about in public.)
Antonyms
honorable (Describes behavior that deserves respect and pride, not shame.)
|
admirable (Describes actions that people approve of and praise, the opposite of disgraceful acts.)
Themes
emotions
|ethics
|social
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very bad and wrong in a way that makes people feel shame or strong anger.
So bad, wrong, or immoral that it causes shame and strong disapproval.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[disgraceful] [service/conditions/performance/record]
The state of the school toilets is disgraceful.
Az iskolai vécék állapota botrányos.
They charge high prices but the customer service is disgraceful.
Magas árakat kérnek, de az ügyfélszolgálatuk botrányos.
Workers complained about the disgraceful conditions in the factory.
His performance in the final was simply disgraceful for a player of his level.
The hospital’s record on patient safety is frankly disgraceful.
Learner examples
The food in that restaurant was disgraceful.
Abban az étteremben botrányos volt az étel.
We left the hotel because the room was in a disgraceful state.
Elhagytuk a szállodát, mert a szoba botrányos állapotban volt.
The team’s play last night was disgraceful.
She said the bus service in her town is disgraceful.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "disgraceful" always refers to moral issues, but it is also used for very poor quality in everyday things like service, conditions, or performance. However, it still sounds strong, so it is not usually used for small annoyances.
Meaning
extremely bad or unacceptable quality
Collocations
disgraceful service
|disgraceful conditions
|disgraceful performance
|disgraceful record
|disgraceful standard
Synonyms
appalling (Strong criticism of quality; often used for very bad conditions or service.)
|
terrible (More general and more frequent; often slightly weaker than "disgraceful.")
|
unacceptable (Focuses on not meeting a required or expected standard, sometimes less emotional.)
Antonyms
excellent (Describes very high quality, the direct opposite of extremely poor quality.)
|
acceptable (Means good enough to be allowed; opposite of something so bad it should not be accepted.)
Themes
daily life
|social
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very bad in quality or level, so that it should not be accepted.
Extremely poor in quality or standard, in a way that is considered completely unacceptable.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disgraceful
IPA
GB/dɪsɡɹˈeɪsfəl/
US/dɪsɡɹˈeɪsfəl/
Syllables & stress
dis - grace - ful (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (grace)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: disgraceful
Word family
Core family
disgrace
noun B2
disgracefully
adverb
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
ungraceful
adjective
ungracefully
adverb
Advanced or less common
graceless
adjective
gracelessly
adverb
Expressions
it's disgraceful that
1/ˈɪts dɪsɡɹˈeɪsfəl ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
saying something is very wrong
Used before a sentence to say you think something is very bad and should make people feel ashamed.
Examples
- It’s disgraceful that so many people are still sleeping on the streets.
- It’s disgraceful that the company has not paid its workers.
- Many residents feel it’s disgraceful that the park is left full of trash every weekend.