Question

unfamiliar word
excerpt from jane eyre, chapter 5
by charlotte bronte
the only marked event of the afternoon was, that i saw the girl with whom i had conversed in the verandah dismissed in disgrace by miss scatcherd from a history class, and sent to stand in the middle of the large schoolroom. the punishment seemed to me in a high degree ignominious, especially for so great a girl — she looked thirteen or upwards. i expected she would show signs of great distress and shame; but to my surprise she neither wept nor blushed: composed, though grave, she stood, the central mark of all eyes.
what does the word ignominious mean in the above excerpt?
use the basic steps of annotation to practice identifying context clues for the word ignominious.

1. first, find the word and circle it.
2. read the passage several times and underline any clues to the meaning of the word.
3. in the space to the right, make notes and ask questions.

Explanation:

The context clues are the details of public punishment: being sent to stand in the middle of a large schoolroom as the "central mark of all eyes" after being "dismissed in disgrace." These show the punishment is humiliating and shameful, which defines the word.

Answer:

"Ignominious" means causing public shame, humiliation, or disgrace; it describes an action or situation that is demeaning and embarrassing, especially when done in front of others.