ignoble
pronunciation
How to pronounce ignoble in British English:
UK [ɪɡˈnəʊbl]
How to pronounce ignoble in American English:
US [ɪɡˈnoʊbl]
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- Adjective:
- completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose
- not of the nobility
Word Origin
- ignoble
- ignoble: see noble
- ignoble (adj.)
- mid-15c., "of low birth," from Middle French ignoble, from Latin ignobilis "unknown, undistinguished, obscure; of base birth, not noble," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + gnobilis "well-known, famous, renowned, of superior birth" (see noble). Related: Ignobly.
Example
- 1. The commission 's paper is part of an ignoble tradition of " shooting the messenger " .
- 2. And you may say in your innocence , " how noble is the one and how ignoble is the other . "
- 3. Mr madoff 's pitch fitted perfectly into the long and ignoble tradition of wall street fund managers luring ordinary folk with the promise of hot investments during booms .
- 4. Even if the measure dies an ignoble death like the other bills , the mere proposal reminds china and others of the protectionism that lurks below the surface in the us .