Ignominy- a powerful term

Ignominy- to dishonor, disgrace, shame, infamy, the condition of of being a disgrace.

How often do you hear this word in present day society? Not much I bet. This 15th century French term died out about the same time the Civil War of the confederate vs the union ended, the late 1860's. The word "ignominy" isn't just a light term you throw around, its a passionate and powerful word used to describe something that has brought a disgrace resulting in regrets and anger to something in your life. Sheer infamy is the only true definition that can be placed with this word.

This word isn't commonly used in the era were living in, but can occasionally be found in phrases, like book titles. "Shuffling to Ignominy: The Tradgedy of Stepin Fetchit," a tragedy describing the disgrace and infamy reached through one man's action that was published in 2005. The word could be used to describe a sports team after they lose a game because they got to cocky or conceited about winning. (For example the way our very own Chicago Blackhawks played the other day.) But the time period that this word really shined was in the 19th century. Right around the time when the literature work titled, "Charlotte Temple" was published.

The word "ignominy" is used in one of the most passionate parts of the book, right when her father is arriving from overseas only to find that his daughter is on her death bead. "While the hapless girl who falls victim to her too great sensibility, shall be loaded with ignominy and shame?" Within this quote, the narrator of the text is describing Charlotte on her death bed and what she has become, a teenage single mother with no money, no husband, and no future because of the naive choices she has made. This word is powerful, and leaves a lasting impact because of the sophisticated nature of itself.

I feel strongly that this word is important to know for the sake of creating a more sophisticated vocabulary and being able to widen your degrees of describing a feeling. You could very well just use the word "disgrace" to describe something that you are slightly ashamed in, but nothing hits the spot like the word "ignominy." It portrays the true shame and disappointment of someone's actions, all within a single word.