Disgrace is the loss of respect that follows shameful behaviour. Resign in disgrace, brought disgrace on the family, a public disgrace.
It is stronger than embarrassment and more public than shame: disgrace is what other people do to your standing. In disgrace is a fixed phrase, used both seriously and lightly — the dog is in disgrace. It is a disgrace, said of a situation, means it is outrageous. Note disgraceful, and disgraced as an adjective before a noun: the disgraced former chairman.
1noundisgraceThe loss of respect that follows shameful behaviour.
“He resigned in disgrace and was back within two years.”
2nounoutrageouslySomething outrageously bad.
“The state of the road is a disgrace and has been for a decade.”
disgrace is a loss of standing.
French disgracier is dis-, away, plus grace — to remove somebody's grace, meaning the favour of a patron or a monarch. Disgrace was originally the loss of somebody's good opinion rather than any wrongdoing of your own.
Middle French
disgracier
English, today
disgrace
From Middle French disgracier.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA