1. [n]  a state of dishonor; "one mistake brought shame to all his family"; "suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison"
2. [v]  damage the reputation of; "This newspaper story discredits the politicians"
3. [v]  reduce in worth, character, etc.; disgrace; dishonour
4. [v]  bring dishonor upon

Disgrace
In South Africa after apartheid, a middle-aged professor of Romantic poetry sees his career crumble as the world turns more to technology than to literature. After a series of ever more degrading misadventures, including a charge of sexual harassment, he ends up on his daughter`s farm. There, after further disgraces--his daughter is raped and he is attacked and disfigured--he is able to reconcile himself to his stunted life by caring for animals and, finally, feeling a kind of kinship with them.

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1. \Dis*grace"\ (?; 277), n. [F. disgr[^a]ce; pref. dis-
   (L. dis-) + gr[^a]ce. See {Grace}.]
   1. The condition of being out of favor; loss of favor,
      regard, or respect.
            Macduff lives in disgrace.            --Shak.
   2. The state of being dishonored, or covered with shame;
      dishonor; shame; ignominy.
            To tumble down thy husband and thyself From top of
            honor to disgrace's feet?             --Shak.
   3. That which brings dishonor; cause of shame or reproach;
      great discredit; as, vice is a disgrace to a rational
      being.
   4. An act of unkindness; a disfavor. [Obs.]
            The interchange continually of favors and disgraces.
                                                  --Bacon.
   Syn: Disfavor; disesteem; opprobrium; reproach; discredit;
        disparagement; dishonor; shame; infamy; ignominy;
        humiliation.
   

2. \Dis*grace"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Disgraced}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Disgracing}.] [Cf. F. disgracier. See {Disgrace}, n.]
   1. To put out favor; to dismiss with dishonor.
            Flatterers of the disgraced minister. --Macaulay.
            Pitt had been disgraced and the old Duke of
            Newcastle dismissed.                  --J. Morley.
   2. To do disfavor to; to bring reproach or shame upon; to
      dishonor; to treat or cover with ignominy; to lower in
      estimation.
            Shall heap with honors him they now disgrace.
                                                  --Pope.
            His ignorance disgraced him.          --Johnson.
   3. To treat discourteously; to upbraid; to revile.
            The goddess wroth gan foully her disgrace.
                                                  --Spenser.
   Syn: To degrade; humble; humiliate; abase; disparage; defame;
        dishonor; debase.