scarlet letter

NOUN

mark on sinner

Synonyms

WEAK

badge of infamy bar sinister mark of Cain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Controversial newsmakers—Monica Lewinsky, Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobbitt among them—had the term pinioned to them like a scarlet letter, stripping away their accomplishments and leaving only scorned husks of their real selves.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025

“But now I have, like, a scarlet letter and the medical stuff so even if I could go to work, my face would be doing gymnastics.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2024

“It is far worse than any scarlet letter could ever be,” he added.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

It is a permanent portrait of shame — the legal system’s scarlet letter.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2023

“Yea, forsooth,” replied the bond-servant, staring with wide-open eyes at the scarlet letter, which, being a new-comer in the country, he had never before seen.

From The Scarlet Letter by Foote, Mary Hallock