Humiliatory vs. Ignominious — What's the Difference?
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By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on September 29, 2023
"Humiliatory" refers to actions causing humiliation or lowering dignity, while "ignominious" denotes actions causing public disgrace or shame, often with dishonorable conduct.
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Difference Between Humiliatory and Ignominious
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Key Differences
"Humiliatory" and "ignominious" refer to concepts related to disgrace and loss of respect, but with nuanced differences. "Humiliatory" relates specifically to actions, situations, or behaviors that cause humiliation, often making someone feel belittled or lowered in dignity. It signifies an action or situation that degrades, diminishes, or debases one's pride or dignity. "Ignominious," on the other hand, relates more to actions or situations that bring about public disgrace or shame, often connected to dishonorable conduct or actions that are socially condemned.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
"Humiliatory" implies a reduction in one's sense of value or worth, focusing more on the internal experience of shame or embarrassment. It's about the subjective experience of feeling belittled or demeaned. In contrast, "ignominious" implies a more objective, outward disgrace, often involving actions that are widely recognized as dishonorable or shameful, resulting in a loss of reputation or esteem in the eyes of others.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Both "humiliatory" and "ignominious" represent negative states of being, involving loss of respect, esteem, or dignity, but they differ in their emphasis and scope. "Humiliatory" actions are those that cause a feeling of humiliation, often more internally felt, whereas "ignominious" actions are those that result in public disgrace, being more externally perceived and related to one’s reputation in society.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
"Humiliatory" actions or circumstances are typically those that make someone feel ashamed or small in a more personal or internal sense. It can refer to experiences that demean or degrade an individual, impacting their self-respect and sense of worth. "Ignominious" incidents, conversely, emphasize the external, public aspect of disgrace, often involving actions that are socially or morally reprehensible and that lead to public derision or condemnation.
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Sep 29, 2023
Comparison Chart
Definition
Related to causing humiliation or lowering dignity
Related to actions causing public disgrace or shame
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Sep 29, 2023
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Focus
More on internal, personal sense of humiliation
More on external, public, and societal disgrace
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Sep 29, 2023
Scope
Personal feeling of being belittled or demeaned
Publicly recognized as dishonorable or shameful
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Sep 29, 2023
Application
More subjective, internal experience of shame
More objective, involves loss of reputation or esteem
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Sep 29, 2023
Consequence
Loss of self-respect or sense of worth
Loss of honor and societal condemnation
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Definitions
Humiliatory
Humiliatory refers to causing humiliation or a feeling of being belittled.
The teacher’s humiliatory remarks made the student feel worthless.
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Sep 25, 2023
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Ignominious
Ignominious denotes being marked by disgrace or shame.
The politician faced an ignominious end to his career.
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Sep 25, 2023
Humiliatory
Humiliatory denotes actions or situations that degrade or diminish one’s dignity.
The employee endured the humiliatory treatment by his manager silently.
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Sep 25, 2023
Ignominious
Ignominious refers to causing public disgrace or shame due to dishonorable conduct.
His ignominious actions led to widespread condemnation.
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Sep 25, 2023
Humiliatory
Humiliatory implies causing a loss of pride or self-respect.
The humiliatory defeat left the team demoralized.
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Sep 25, 2023
Ignominious
Ignominious signifies a state of being disgraced or humiliated publicly.
The ignominious defeat was a blow to the country’s pride.
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Sep 25, 2023
Humiliatory
Humiliatory signifies lowering someone's worth or value.
The humiliatory comments were uncalled for and hurtful.
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Sep 25, 2023
Ignominious
Ignominious implies a loss of reputation due to dishonorable actions.
The company had an ignominious downfall due to fraudulent activities.
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Sep 25, 2023
Humiliatory
Humiliatory involves making someone feel small or lessened in value.
The leader’s humiliatory approach led to a lack of respect among the followers.
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Sep 25, 2023
Ignominious
Ignominious involves actions or situations that are reprehensible and shameful.
The criminal lived an ignominious life, shunned by society.
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Sep 25, 2023
Ignominious
Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame
No other party risked ignominious defeat
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Ignominious
Characterized by or deserving shame or disgrace
"It was an ignominious end ... as a desperate mutiny by a handful of soldiers blossomed into full-scale revolt" (Harry Anderson).
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Ignominious
Degrading; debasing
"The young people huddled with their sodden gritty towels and ignominious goosebumps inside the gray-shingled bathhouse" (John Updike).
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May 01, 2023
Ignominious
Marked by great dishonor, shame, disgrace or humiliation; shameful, disgraceful
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May 01, 2023
Ignominious
Marked with ignominy; incurring public disgrace; dishonorable; shameful.
Then first with fear surprised and sense of pain,Fled ignominious.
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Tayyaba Rehman
May 01, 2023
Ignominious
Deserving ignominy; despicable.
One single, obscure, ignominious projector.
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Tayyaba Rehman
May 01, 2023
Ignominious
Humiliating; degrading; as, an ignominious judgment or sentence.
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May 01, 2023
Ignominious
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame;
Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands
An ignominious retreat
Inglorious defeat
An opprobrious monument to human greed
A shameful display of cowardice
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May 01, 2023
FAQs
Can "humiliatory" relate to personal experiences of shame?
Yes, "humiliatory" often relates to more personal, internal experiences of shame or embarrassment.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Does "ignominious" involve a loss of public reputation?
Yes, "ignominious" typically involves a loss of public reputation and societal esteem.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Is "humiliatory" focused more on the internal feeling of being demeaned?
Yes, "humiliatory" focuses more on the internal, subjective experience of being demeaned or degraded.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Does "humiliatory" often imply a reduction in one’s sense of worth?
Yes, "humiliatory" implies a reduction in one's sense of value or worth, impacting self-respect.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
What does "humiliatory" imply?
"Humiliatory" implies actions or situations causing humiliation or a feeling of being belittled.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Can "humiliatory" actions make someone feel small or inferior?
Absolutely, "humiliatory" actions can make an individual feel belittled, inferior, or lessened in value.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Does "ignominious" depict a state of public humiliation?
Yes, "ignominious" depicts a state of being disgraced or humiliated in a public or societal context.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Can "humiliatory" relate to actions that lower someone’s dignity?
Yes, "humiliatory" specifically relates to actions or situations that lower someone’s dignity or self-worth.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
What does "ignominious" signify?
"Ignominious" signifies actions causing public disgrace or shame due to dishonorable conduct.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Is "ignominious" associated with actions widely recognized as shameful?
Yes, "ignominious" is associated with actions that are publicly and widely recognized as dishonorable or shameful.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Can "ignominious" refer to actions that are morally reprehensible?
Absolutely, "ignominious" often refers to actions that are socially or morally reprehensible and shameful.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Is an "ignominious" end often associated with disgrace?
Absolutely, an "ignominious" end is often associated with a considerable amount of public disgrace or shame.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Can "humiliatory" comments be considered as degrading or demeaning?
Yes, "humiliatory" comments are considered degrading and demeaning, causing a loss of self-respect.
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Tayyaba Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Author Spotlight
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.