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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


stigma

noun

Definition: the disgrace of something socially unacceptable

Synonyms: shame, disgrace, dishonor, reproach, scar, smudge, blemish

Antonyms: glory, honor

Tips: Stigma is derived from the Greek stigma, which was literally "a mark, a brand or a tattoo" that was used to mark slaves and criminals. Stigma is used today to describe a mark of disgrace or shame. The related verb stigmatize refers to branding someone or something as disgraceful. In the book The Scarlet Letter, the letter "A" was a stigma that was worn to illustrate a woman's adultery.

Usage Examples:

The disease AIDS no longer seems to have the stigma attached to it that it had a decade ago. (shame, dishonor)

She didn't tell people that her father was mentally insane because of the stigma attached to the condition. (disgrace, shame)

The angry woman felt her son had been stigmatized after he was labeled as a discipline problem. (shamed, disgraced) verb

The low grade I got in that class will always be a stigma on my school record. (smudge, blemish)


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