ज़िल्लत (zillat)

noun A single-sense noun meaning humiliation or disgrace -- a word for the sting of being insulted or made to feel small, often in front of others.
Sense 1 : humiliation, disgrace, indignity
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बेइज्ज़ती (beijztii), अपमान (apmaan), रुसवाई (rusvaaii, literary), फ़ज़ीहत (faziihat, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries real emotional weight in Hindi-Urdu -- it is stronger than a simple 'embarrassment,' closer to the feeling of being publicly disgraced or made to eat humble pie. You will hear it often in Bollywood dialogues and everyday complaints about being disrespected at work or in family disputes, usually in the phrase ज़िल्लत सहना (zillat sahnaa, 'to bear humiliation').
Common Mistakes: 1) Usually paired with the verb झेलना (jhelnaa, 'to endure') or उठाना (uthaanaa, 'to bear') rather than 'get' -- ज़िल्लत झेलना (zillat jhelnaa, 'to endure humiliation') is far more natural than a literal 'to get humiliation.' 2) It takes को for the person humiliated in impersonal constructions, e.g. उसे ज़िल्लत उठानी पड़ी (use zillat uthaanii padii, 'he had to endure humiliation') -- learners sometimes default to a subject-plus-verb structure instead.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे उस दिन बहुत ज़िल्लत उठानी पड़ी। I had to endure a lot of humiliation that day.
(mujhe us din bahut zillat uthaanii padii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर रोज़ दफ़्तर में ज़िल्लत सहता है। He bears humiliation at the office every single day.
(vah har roz daftar men zillat sahtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इतनी ज़िल्लत सहने के बाद भी वह चुप रहा। Even after bearing so much humiliation, he stayed silent.
(itnii zillat sahne ke baad bhii vah chup rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम यह काम गलत करोगे तो सबके सामने ज़िल्लत उठानी पड़ेगी। If you mess this up, you'll have to face humiliation in front of everyone.
(agar tum yah kaam galat karoge to sabke saamne zillat uthaanii padegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे उस मीटिंग में इतनी ज़िल्लत न सहनी पड़ती। I wish I hadn't had to bear so much humiliation in that meeting.
(kaash mujhe us miiting men itnii zillat n sahnii padtii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह थोड़ा नरमी से बात करता, तो मुझे यह ज़िल्लत न झेलनी पड़ती। If he had spoken a little more gently, I wouldn't have had to face this disgrace.
(agar vah thodaa narmii se baat kartaa, to mujhe yah zillat n jhelnii padtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस बार ज़िल्लत मत सहो, अपनी बात साफ़ कह दो। Don't put up with humiliation this time, just say what you have to say clearly.
(is baar zillat mat saho, apnii baat saaf kah do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
परिवार में इस तरह की ज़िल्लत बर्दाश्त नहीं की जानी चाहिए। This kind of humiliation should not be tolerated within a family.
(parivaar men is tarah kii zillat bardaasht nahiin kii jaanii chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
उसकी वजह से मुझे रिश्तेदारों के सामने बड़ी ज़िल्लत झेलनी पड़ी। Because of him, I had to face great humiliation in front of my relatives.
(uskii vajah se mujhe rishtedaaron ke saamne badii zillat jhelnii padii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतनी ज़िल्लत के बावजूद उसका आत्मविश्वास कम नहीं हुआ। Despite so much disgrace, his confidence did not diminish.
(itnii zillat ke baavjood uskaa aatmvishvaas kam nahiin huaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): ज़िल्लत (zillat)
(sg.f.oblique): ज़िल्लत (zillat)
(pl.f.direct): ज़िल्लतें (zillten)
(pl.f.oblique): ज़िल्लतों (zillton)