Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dishonours, present participle dishonouring, past tense, past participle dishonouredregional note: in AM, use dishonor
1. verb
If you dishonour someone, you behave in a way that damages their good reputation.
[formal]
It would dishonour my family if I didn't wear the veil. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disgrace, shame, discredit, corrupt More Synonyms of dishonour
2. uncountable noun
Dishonour is a state in which people disapprove of you and lose their respect for you.
[formal]
...a choice between death and dishonour.
3. verb
If someone dishonours an agreement, they refuse to act according to its conditions.
We found that the bank had dishonoured some of our cheques. [VERB noun]
...the dishonoured pledges to British manufacturing. [VERB-ed]
More Synonyms of dishonour
dishonour in British English
or US dishonor (dɪsˈɒnə)
verb(transitive)
1.
to treat with disrespect
2.
to fail or refuse to pay (a cheque, bill of exchange, etc)
3. archaic
to cause the disgrace of (a woman) by seduction or rape
noun
4.
a lack of honour or respect
5.
a state of shame or disgrace
6.
a person or thing that causes a loss of honour
he was a dishonour to his family
7.
an insult; affront
we did her a dishonour by not including her
8.
refusal or failure to accept or pay a commercial paper
Derived forms
dishonourer (disˈhonourer) or US dishonorer (disˈhonorer)
noun
Examples of 'dishonour' in a sentence
dishonour
She could feel just such a smile twisting her mouth, a counterfeit coin to pay a debt of dishonour.
Penman, Sharon HERE BE DRAGONS
The herald had wandered off into the forest, perhaps to nurse his sense of dishonour at his lord's conduct.
Kerr, Katharine A TIME OF WAR
It would dishonour the animals, he thought, if he refused to hunt them and partake of their life.
Zindell, David THE BROKEN GOD
1 (verb)
Definition
to treat with disrespect
I don't want to dishonour the men and women who risk their lives to keep us safe.
Synonyms
disgrace
These soldiers have disgraced their regiment.
shame
I wouldn't shame my family by trying that.
discredit
He says his accusers are trying to discredit him.
corrupt
Cruelty depraves and corrupts.
degrade
No-one should feel degraded at their place of work.
blacken
They're trying to blacken our name.
sully
Reputations are easily sullied and business lost.
debase
I won't debase myself by answering that question.
debauch
defame
He complained that the article defamed him.
abase
He made his courtiers abase themselves before him.
Opposites
respect
,
worship
,
esteem
,
revere
,
exalt
2 (verb)
They claim the company has dishonoured their agreement.
Synonyms
break
default on
go back on
retract
He hurriedly sought to retract the statement.
repudiate
They had repudiated her contract.
renege on
back out on
change your mind about
3 (verb)
Synonyms
seduce
a young lacemaker seduced by an aristocrat
rape
pollute
a man accused of polluting the minds of children
ravish (literary)
defile
deflower
1 (noun)
Definition
a state of shame or disgrace
You have brought dishonour on a fine and venerable institution.
Synonyms
disgrace
I have brought disgrace upon my family.
scandal
His poor behaviour will only lead to scandal.
shame
I don't want to bring shame on the family name.
discredit
His actions have brought discredit on the whole regiment.
degradation
scenes of misery and degradation
disrepute
Our profession was brought into disrepute.
reproach
The shootings were a reproach to all of us.
ignominy
the ignominy of being made redundant
infamy
one of the greatest acts of infamy in history
opprobrium
She had to undergo the opprobrium of a public trial.
odium (formal)
She has been exposed to public odium and scandal.
disfavour
He fell into disfavour and had to resign.
abasement
obsessed with power and the abasement of all their enemies
obloquy
Opposites
honour
,
integrity
,
goodness
,
morality
,
decency
,
rectitude
2 (noun)
Definition
something that causes a loss of honour
Synonyms
insult
Their behaviour was an insult to the people they represented.
abuse
A group of people started to heckle and shout abuse.
offence
Your behaviour is an offence to your hosts.
slight
a child weeping over an imagined slight
outrage
affront
She has taken my enquiry as a personal affront.
indignity
He suffered the indignity of having to face angry protesters.
sacrilege
It is a sacrilege to offend democracy.
discourtesy
To refuse would have been a discourtesy.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abase
He made his courtiers abase themselves before him.
Synonyms
humble,
reduce,
lower,
depress,
disgrace,
humiliate,
degrade,
downgrade,
demean,
denigrate,
demote,
belittle,
mortify,
debase,
dishonour,
cast down,
bring low,
put in your place
in the sense of abasement
obsessed with power and the abasement of all their enemies
Synonyms
humiliation,
lowering,
reduction,
shaming,
depression,
humbling,
disgrace,
put-down,
downgrading,
degradation,
dishonour,
demotion,
mortification,
debasement,
belittlement
in the sense of abuse
Definition
insulting comments
A group of people started to heckle and shout abuse.