l’ignoble

Meaning (in English)

Ignoble means base, vile, dishonorable, or morally despicable. It describes a person, act, attitude, or motive that is considered morally low, shameful, or contemptible.

It can also (more rarely) refer to something not noble in a social sense—i.e., not belonging to the nobility—but in modern French the moral sense is by far the most common.

Parts / formation

• in-: a prefix meaning “not” (negation)
• noble: “noble”, in the sense of honorable or of noble rank
  So ignoble literally conveys “not noble”, and by extension “unworthy / vile.”

French synonyms

Depending on context:

• vile
• infâme
• abject
• odieux
• méprisable
• honteux
• indigne
• bas (morally low)

French antonyms

• noble
• honorable
• digne
• intègre
• élevé (in a moral sense)
• respectable