disgrace

disgrace — noun

1. the shame you feel and the respect you lose from people around you when you have

1.名詞B2
釋義

the shame you feel and the respect you lose from people around you when you have done something wrong

例句

Esme felt deep disgrace after lying to her closest friend about the missing money.

collocation: 'deep disgrace' for strong shame

The politician was forced to resign in disgrace after the scandal was made public.

pattern: 'in disgrace' as adverbial phrase

同義詞
  • shame

    more general feeling; 'disgrace' implies a public loss of respect

  • dishonour

    more formal; emphasises lost honour rather than lost respect

  • humiliation

    focuses on the feeling of being embarrassed in front of others

  • ignominy

    much more formal and literary; public shame from failure or defeat

反義詞
  • honour

    respect and admiration from others

  • glory

    great honour and praise from achievements

文法句型

in disgrace

a disgrace

bring disgrace on/upon [someone]

用法筆記

Often used in the fixed phrase 'in disgrace' to describe someone who has been rejected or sent away because of their bad behaviour. Common modifiers include 'deep,' 'public,' and 'great.'

常見錯誤

❌He left in a disgrace.
✅He left in disgrace.
💡'in disgrace' is a fixed phrase with no article.
❌She brought disgrace to her family.
✅She brought disgrace on her family.
💡the correct preposition is 'on,' not 'to.'

2. a situation or condition that is completely unacceptable and makes you feel angr

2.名詞B2
釋義

a situation or condition that is completely unacceptable and makes you feel angry or shocked

例句

The hospital waiting room was a disgrace — patients sat on the floor for hours.

pattern: '[something] is a disgrace' for unacceptable condition

"It is a disgrace that the school still has no running water," said the teacher.

pattern: 'it is a disgrace that…'

同義詞
  • outrage

    stronger anger; emphasises moral violation more than just bad quality

  • scandal

    something that shocks people and involves wrongdoing or cover-ups

文法句型

a disgrace

it is a disgrace that…

what a disgrace

用法筆記

Always used with an article or determiner — 'a disgrace' or 'a[n] X disgrace.' Never used bare. Common intensifiers are 'absolute,' 'complete,' 'utter,' and 'public.' The construction 'it is a disgrace that…' is especially frequent.

常見錯誤

❌This room is disgrace.
✅This room is a disgrace.
💡a countable noun in this sense needs an article.
❌It's disgrace that nobody helps.
✅It's a disgrace that nobody helps.
💡indefinite article 'a' is required.

3. someone or something whose terrible quality makes everyone in the same group los

3.名詞C1
釋義

someone or something whose terrible quality makes everyone in the same group lose the respect of others

例句

The former champion became a disgrace to boxing after refusing to follow safety rules.

pattern: 'a disgrace to [field/sport]'

Dewi's father told her that lying to customers was a disgrace to the family business.

同義詞
反義詞
  • credit

    someone who makes their group look good — 'a credit to the team'

  • pride

    something that makes a group feel proud — 'the pride of the school'

文法句型

a disgrace to [group/noun]

用法筆記

Follows the fixed structure 'a disgrace to + [group noun].' The group can be a profession ('a disgrace to the teaching profession'), an institution ('a disgrace to the university'), or a social unit ('a disgrace to the family'). Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes a bad situation in general ('the room is a disgrace'), while sense 3 specifically ties the bad thing to a group that is shamed through association.

常見錯誤

❌He is disgrace to his team.
✅He is a disgrace to his team.
💡the article 'a' is necessary even in this pattern.
❌She is a disgrace for her country.
✅She is a disgrace to her country.
💡use 'to,' not 'for.'

disgrace — verb