Meaning
shame, disgrace
- insult, affront
- damage, harm, nuisance
In a sentence
Che onta, tutti hanno sentito la mia bugia.
How shameful, everyone heard my lie.
Perché mi fai quest'onta davanti agli amici?
Why do you insult me like this in front of friends?
La famiglia non riuscì a cancellare l'onta di quello scandalo.
The family could not erase the disgrace of that scandal.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| onta | feminine · singular |
| onte | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Literary and old-fashioned in modern Italian; in everyday speech, vergogna, disonore, offesa, or danno are usually more natural.
- Common in fixed expressions like a onta di and recare onta; using it freely in casual conversation can sound archaic.
- For personal humiliation, vergogna is more common; onta often suggests public dishonor or a formal affront.