humiliation
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the painful feeling of shame or embarrassment you have when you lose your pride or look foolish in front of others.
the emotional state of being humbled or mortified, typically resulting from a public loss of dignity or status.
Simple“He felt a deep sense of humiliation when he forgot his lines during the school play.”
In context“The athlete had to endure the humiliation of being disqualified in front of a home crowd after years of preparation.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'suffer', 'endure', or 'feel'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an event or situation that makes you feel ashamed or less important.
a specific instance or act that causes a person or group to lose their social standing or self-respect.
Simple“The team suffered a series of humiliations, losing every game of the season.”
In context“The treaty was seen by the citizens as a national humiliation that would take decades to overcome.”
UsageIn this sense, the word is countable and can be used in the plural.
“There is only so much humiliation a nation can take.”
“We English have only ourselves to blame for the humiliation which has been brought on the land.”
From Middle French humiliation, from Late Latin humiliātiō, from humiliāre (“to humiliate”); see humiliate. Equivalent to humiliate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.