Disgraceful means so bad that it brings shame. Disgraceful behaviour, absolutely disgraceful, a disgraceful decision.
It is a strong public judgement rather than a private one, and it belongs to complaints, headlines and letters to the council. Absolutely disgraceful is the fixed intensifier. It is stronger than shameful in tone if not in meaning, mostly because of how loudly it is usually said. Note disgrace as noun and verb, disgracefully; and in disgrace, which is the state the behaviour lands you in.
1adjectivedisgracefulSo bad that it brings shame.
“The fans' behaviour was disgraceful; they threw bottles at the players.”
synonyms: shameful, scandalous
disgraceful is a quality of shamefulness.
Disgrace plus -ful. Grace comes from Latin gratia, favour, so disgrace is the loss of favour and disgraceful is full of it.
Middle French
disgracier
English
disgrace
English, today
disgraceful
From disgrace + ful. disgrace comes from Middle French disgracier.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA