Stigma – Mark or stain on someone's name
(Pronounced stig-ma)
Stigma means a mark or stain on a person's name. If a person or a thing has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of.
To remember the definition of the word stigma, use the following mnemonic:
The stick Ma (stigma) used left a mark or a stain wherever she went.
Examples of stigma in a sentence
We must eradicate the social stigma attached to the disease.
The boys found it difficult to shake off the stigma of failure.
John felt the stigma of going to prison was hindering him getting a job.