humiliation

What it means

1. countableuncountableThe act of humiliating or humbling someone; abasement of pride; mortification.

   Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.

   2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21

2. countableuncountableThe state of being humiliated, humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission.

   Loving and beloved by him, how different would her destiny have been! An utter sense of desolation came over her; a terror of the future, an overwhelming agony in the present. That he, of all others, should be the one to witness her humiliation!

   1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Season”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 2

   2 more examples

   One morning Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were having breakfast when Lincoln did something that aroused the fiery temper of his wife. What, no one remembers now. But Mrs. Lincoln, in a rage, dashed a cup of hot coffee into her husband's face. And she did it in front of the other boarders. Saying nothing, Lincoln sat there in humiliation and silence while Mrs. Early came with a wet towel and wiped off his face and clothes.

   1936, Dale Carnegie, “Part 6, Chapter 1. HOW TO DIG YOUR MARITAL GRAVE IN THE QUICKEST POSSIBLE WAY.”, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, page 264

   They listened to the sound of Fanny’s retreating footsteps. ‘Well, well!’ said Marcus. ‘Oh, take no notice Jess. You know what our Frances Maud is like! It’s nothing to cry about!’ To her humiliation Jessamy found there were tears trickling down her cheeks.

   1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 48

In a sentence

Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.

2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21

Where it comes from

1. Late Latinhumiliātiō
2. Middle Frenchhumiliation
3. Englishhumiliation

From Middle French humiliation, from Late Latin humiliātiō, from humiliāre (“to humiliate”); see humiliate. Equivalent to humiliate + -ion.