scarlet letter

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

“I became worried that despite the inclusive design and urban planning, the project would have a scarlet letter, and residents would become stigmatized before the building even opened,” Pooley said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2024

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

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2023

But in good earnest now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean?—and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?—and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?”

From The Scarlet Letter by Foote, Mary Hallock