dishonour
gb/dɪʃənɚ/ us/dɪʃənɚ/
C1
English
~ 9900
szégyen, gyalázat, lejárat, szégyent hoz, megszeg, nem tart be, valaminek a szégyene, szégyenfolt, visszautasít, nem teljesít, megerőszakol, megbecstelenít
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
fall into [dishonour]
He died in dishonour after the corruption scandal was revealed.
A korrupciós botrány leleplezése után szégyenben halt meg.
The general returned home in disgrace and dishonour.
A tábornok szégyenben és gyalázatban tért haza.
The affair brought lasting dishonour on the royal household.
They considered surrender a fate worse than dishonour.
Learner examples
He lived the rest of his life in dishonour.
Élete hátralévő részét szégyenben élte le.
The lie brought great dishonour to his name.
A hazugság nagy szégyent hozott a nevére.
She felt that her family was in dishonour after the news.
The crime was a source of deep dishonour for them.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse ‘dishonour’ with ‘dishonesty’. ‘Dishonour’ is about losing respect and reputation, while ‘dishonesty’ is about not telling the truth or not being fair.
Meaning
loss of respect or reputation
Collocations
public dishonour
|family dishonour
|live in dishonour
|in disgrace and dishonour
|bring dishonour
Synonyms
disgrace (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in modern English.)
|
shame (Can refer more to the feeling; ‘dishonour’ focuses more on social reputation.)
|
dishonor (US spelling of the same idea; slightly more common overall because of American usage.)
Antonyms
honour (The positive state of having respect and a good name.)
|
respect (General positive regard that is lost when someone falls into dishonour.)
Themes
emotions
|reputation
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The state of losing respect from other people because you did something bad.
The state of having lost respect or good reputation in the eyes of others, especially because of bad or immoral behaviour.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
lejárat
B2
szégyent hoz
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] dishonours [someone/something]
By taking bribes, he dishonoured his office and his country.
A megvesztegetések elfogadásával lejáratta a tisztségét és az országát.
She felt that publishing the photos would dishonour the dead.
Úgy érezte, hogy a fotók közzététele meggyalázná a halottakat.
Their behaviour on the field dishonoured the team's proud history.
The soldiers who looted the village dishonoured the uniform they wore.
Learner examples
He dishonoured his family when he lied in court.
Szégyent hozott a családjára, amikor hazudott a bíróságon.
The player dishonoured the team by cheating.
A játékos csalással lejáratta a csapatot.
They said the film dishonoured the hero's memory.
Such actions dishonour the name of the school.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use ‘dishonour’ as an adjective (e.g. *a dishonour man*). The adjective is ‘dishonourable’, and ‘dishonour’ is the verb or noun.
Meaning
to bring shame on someone
Collocations
dishonour his family
|dishonour her memory
|dishonour the uniform
|dishonour the office
|dishonour their country
Synonyms
disgrace (Very close in meaning; often used for serious damage to reputation.)
|
shame (Slightly broader and more emotional; can refer to making someone feel ashamed as well as harming their reputation.)
|
tarnish (Suggests making a reputation less clean or pure, sometimes less strong than ‘dishonour’.)
Antonyms
honour (To show great respect for someone or something, the opposite of causing shame.)
|
uphold (To support or maintain a standard or reputation, not damage it.)
Themes
emotions
|reputation
|behaviour
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make people lose respect for someone or something because of bad actions.
To cause someone or something to lose respect or good reputation, especially by acting badly or showing a lack of integrity.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
3
megszeg
B2
nem tart be
B1
Usage pattern:
dishonour [a promise/an agreement]
The government was accused of dishonouring its election promises within a year.
A kormányt azzal vádolták, hogy egy éven belül nem tartotta be a választási ígéreteit.
Refusing to pay his workers would be to dishonour the agreement he had signed.
Ha nem fizetne a munkásainak, azzal megszegné az aláírt megállapodást.
They argued that the company had dishonoured its contract with local farmers.
To dishonour this treaty would damage the country's standing in the region.
Learner examples
He dishonoured his promise to help us.
Megszegte az ígéretét, hogy segít nekünk.
The company dishonoured the contract and stopped the payments.
A vállalat megszegte a szerződést, és leállította a kifizetéseket.
Many voters felt the leader dishonoured his word.
We must not dishonour the agreement we made.
Common mistake:
Learners may think ‘dishonour a promise’ means to insult the promise. It means to fail to keep the promise, not to speak badly about it.
Meaning
to break a promise or agreement
Collocations
dishonour a promise
|dishonour an agreement
|dishonour a treaty
|dishonour a contract
|dishonour their word
Synonyms
break (Used in the common phrase ‘break a promise’; more everyday than ‘dishonour’.)
|
violate (More formal; often used with ‘treaty’, ‘agreement’, or ‘rights’.)
|
renege on (Phrasal verb often used for promises or deals; slightly informal or legalistic.)
Antonyms
honour (Used in the opposite phrase ‘honour a promise/agreement’, meaning to keep it.)
|
keep (As in ‘keep a promise’; common, neutral opposite.)
Themes
law
|politics
|business
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To not do what you promised or agreed, and so show no respect for the promise or agreement.
To fail to do what you have promised or agreed to do, thereby treating the promise, agreement, or obligation without respect.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a dishonour to [group]
They called him a dishonour to the uniform he wore.
Azt mondták róla, hogy az egyenruha szégyene.
Her corrupt actions were a dishonour to the name she carried.
Korrupt tettei miatt szégyene lett a névnek, amelyet viselt.
Many saw the prison as a national dishonour.
Such behaviour is a dishonour to the whole profession.
Learner examples
They said he was a dishonour to his family.
Azt mondták, ő a család szégyene.
The cheating player is a dishonour to the sport.
A csaló játékos a sport szégyene.
These bad schools are a dishonour to the country.
His lies are a dishonour to the office he holds.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *he is dishonour* without an article. In this sense, ‘dishonour’ is a countable noun, so say ‘He is a dishonour to his family.’
Meaning
person or thing that is a disgrace
Collocations
a dishonour to his family
|a national dishonour
|a dishonour to the name
|a dishonour to the profession
|a dishonour to the uniform
Synonyms
disgrace (Very close meaning; can refer to both the person and the situation.)
|
shame (When used about a person (‘He is a shame to us’), similar but slightly more emotional.)
|
black sheep (Informal idiom for a family member who brings shame; more colloquial than ‘dishonour’.)
Antonyms
pride (As in ‘She is the pride of the family’, the positive counterpart.)
|
credit (As in ‘He is a credit to his profession’, meaning someone who brings respect.)
Themes
emotions
|reputation
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person or thing that makes a family, group, or name look bad.
A person or thing that brings shame on someone or on a group, name, or institution.
VERB
C2
TECHNICAL
5
visszautasít
B2
nem teljesít
C1
Usage pattern:
[a bank] dishonours [a cheque/bill]
The bank dishonoured the cheque because there were insufficient funds in his account.
A bank visszautasította a csekket, mert nem volt elég pénz a számláján.
If the bill is dishonoured, you may be liable for additional charges.
Ha a váltót nem teljesítik, további díjakat számíthatnak fel.
Several payments were dishonoured after the company went into liquidation.
Learner examples
The bank dishonoured his cheque.
A bank visszautasította a csekkjét.
My payment was dishonoured because I had no money in the account.
A fizetésemet visszautasították, mert nem volt pénz a számlán.
If your cheque is dishonoured, you must pay a fee.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the general ‘shame’ meaning of ‘dishonour’. In banking, ‘dishonour a cheque’ means ‘refuse to pay it’, not ‘make the cheque feel ashamed’.
Meaning
to refuse to pay a cheque
Collocations
dishonour a cheque
|dishonour a bill of exchange
|payment was dishonoured
|dishonoured cheque
|dishonoured instrument
Synonyms
bounce (Informal, commonly used about cheques that are not paid.)
|
reject (General verb; in this context, means not to accept the cheque for payment.)
|
decline (Often used in banking for refused payments, e.g. ‘decline a payment’.)
Antonyms
honour (Technical opposite: to pay a cheque or bill when it is presented.)
|
clear (Common banking term meaning the bank successfully processes and pays the cheque.)
Themes
business
|law
|finance
Definition
When a bank does not pay a cheque or similar paper when someone asks for the money.
Of a bank or other payer, to refuse to pay a cheque, bill of exchange, or other payment instrument when it is presented.
VERB
C2
ARCHAIC
6
megerőszakol
B2
Usage pattern:
dishonour [a woman/someone]
She feared that if she were captured, the soldiers would dishonour her.
Attól félt, hogy ha elfogják, a katonák megerőszakolják.
In the novel, the villain kidnaps and dishonours the young heiress.
A regényben a gonosztevő elrabolja és megbecsteleníti a fiatal örökösnőt.
The threat of being dishonoured was often used to control women's behaviour in those times.
Learner examples
The story says the enemy tried to dishonour her.
A történet szerint az ellenség megpróbálta megerőszakolni.
In many old books, men dishonour women and receive no punishment.
Sok régi könyvben a férfiak megbecstelenítik a nőket, és ezért nem kapnak büntetést.
He was jailed because he dishonoured a young woman.
Common mistake:
Because this sense is archaic and euphemistic, learners may think it means only to ‘insult’ someone. In older texts, ‘dishonour a woman’ usually refers to serious sexual violence or sex that destroys her social reputation.
Meaning
to rape or sexually violate (archaic)
Collocations
dishonour a woman
|dishonoured her
|fear of being dishonoured
|dishonoured against her will
Synonyms
rape (Direct modern legal term; harsher and more explicit than the older euphemistic ‘dishonour’.)
|
violate (Formal or old-fashioned verb used similarly in older texts.)
Antonyms
protect (To keep someone safe from sexual violence or harm.)
|
respect (To treat someone, including their body and choices, with dignity and without harm.)
Themes
violence
|relationships
|history
|law
|health
Definition
In old writing, to rape someone or to have sex with an unmarried woman so that people see her as shamed.
To rape someone, or, especially in older texts, to have sex with an unmarried woman in a way that destroys her social reputation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dishonour
IPA
GB/dɪʃənɚ/
US/dɪʃənɚ/
Syllables & stress
dis - hon - our (3 syllables)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dishonour
- Plural: dishonour
Verb
- Base: dishonour
- 3rd Person Singular: dishonours
- Present Participle: dishonouring
- Past: dishonoured
Word family
Forms
dishonours
verb
dishonouring
verb
dishonoured
verb
Core family
dishonourable
adjective
Related words
Expressions
badge of dishonour
1/bˈæd͡ʒ əv dɪʃənɚ/
idiom
a mark that shows shame
Something that clearly shows a person or group should feel shame, not pride.
Examples
- The high prison population is a badge of dishonour for the country.
- Corruption in local government has become a badge of dishonour for the region.
bring dishonour on
1/bɹˈɪŋ dɪʃənɚ ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
formal
cause shame to someone or something
To make a person, family, group, or country lose respect in other people's eyes.
Examples
- The scandal brought dishonour on the entire government.
- His actions on the battlefield brought dishonour on his regiment.
- They warned that cheating would bring dishonour on the team.
cover oneself in dishonour
1/kˈʌvɚ wˌʌnsˈɛlf ˈɪn dɪʃənɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
bring great shame on oneself
To do something very bad that makes people lose a lot of respect for you.
Examples
- He covered himself in dishonour by lying during the trial.
- The team covered themselves in dishonour with their violent behaviour on the pitch.
fall into dishonour
1/fˈɔl ˈɪntu dɪʃənɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
lose respect and good name
To lose respect and a good name, usually because of bad actions becoming known.
Examples
- Once the fraud was exposed, he fell into dishonour and isolation.
- The party fell into dishonour after years of corruption scandals.
in disgrace and dishonour
1/ˈɪn dɪsɡɹˈeɪs ˈænd dɪʃənɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
in a state of complete shame
In a very bad situation where everyone has lost respect for you.
Examples
- He left public life in disgrace and dishonour.
- The minister resigned in disgrace and dishonour after the report was published.
live in dishonour
1/lˈɪv ˈɪn dɪʃənɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
continue life without respect
To continue your life after people have lost respect for you because of something bad you did.
Examples
- He chose exile and lived in dishonour for the rest of his days.
- She refused to live in dishonour and fought to clear her name.