disgrace
gb/dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/ us/dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/
B2
English
~ 3400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
Loss of respect or honor
When people no longer respect or trust you because you did something bad or wrong.
Usage pattern:
in [someone's] disgrace
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'disgrace' (loss of respect) with 'discomfort' (physical or mental unease), which have very different meanings.
Synonyms
dishonor (More formal and often used in ceremonial or moral contexts.)
|
shame (Focuses more on the personal emotional feeling rather than public perception.)
Antonyms
honor (The state of being respected and admired for good qualities or actions.)
|
respect (Positive regard and esteem from others.)
Collocations
bring disgrace
|fall into disgrace
|public disgrace
|national disgrace
|face disgrace
Themes
emotions
|reputation
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The politician left office in disgrace after the scandal.
- Cheating on the exam brought disgrace to the student.
- He tried to rebuild his career after falling into disgrace.
- Her actions were a disgrace to the entire team.
- The company’s safety violations were a national disgrace.
Learner examples
- He lost his job in disgrace.
- The player left the team in disgrace.
- She brought disgrace to her family.
- They want to avoid public disgrace.
- It was a great disgrace for the country.
Verb
B2
action
2
Cause someone to lose respect
To make people lose respect for someone because of something bad they did.
Usage pattern:
to disgrace [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'disgrace' as a verb without a subject, but it requires an object (e.g., 'He disgraced himself', not just 'He disgraced').
Synonyms
dishonor (More formal, often in ceremonial or moral contexts.)
|
shame (Can be less formal and more focused on personal feelings.)
Antonyms
honor (To show or give respect and admiration.)
Collocations
disgrace oneself
|disgrace the family
|disgrace the team
Themes
emotions
|reputation
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He disgraced himself by lying in court.
- The player disgraced the sport with his unsportsmanlike behavior.
- She felt she had disgraced her family by failing the exam.
- The officer was accused of disgracing the uniform.
- They disgraced the company's name through fraud.
Learner examples
- He disgraced himself at the party.
- The actor disgraced the show with rude words.
- She disgraced her parents by cheating.
- The team disgraced their fans by losing badly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disgrace
IPA
GB/dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/
US/dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/
Syllables & stress
dis - grace (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (grace)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: disgrace
- Plural: disgrace
Verb
- Base: disgrace
- 3rd Person Singular: disgraces
- Present Participle: disgracing
- Past: disgraced
Word family
Forms
disgraces
verb
disgracing
verb
disgraced
verb
Core family
disgraceful
adjective B2
disgracefully
adverb
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
graceless
adjective
gracelessly
adverb
Expressions
a disgrace to [someone/something]
1/ə dɪsɡɹˈeɪs tə sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Someone or something causing shame to another
A person or thing that makes another person, group, or place lose respect.
Examples
- His behavior is a disgrace to the profession.
- The dirty stadium is a disgrace to the city.
fall into disgrace
1/fˈɔl ˈɪntu dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
Start being in a state of lost respect
To start being no longer respected because of something bad you did.
Examples
- The minister fell into disgrace after the corruption scandal.
- She fell into disgrace with her friends when they found out she lied.
in disgrace
1/ˈɪn dɪsɡɹˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
In a state of lost respect
People have lost respect for you because of something bad you did.
Examples
- He left the meeting in disgrace after being caught lying.
- She returned home in disgrace after the failed project.