This noun denotes reproach, disgrace, or something that brings shame—particularly public scorn or dishonor. In Luke 1:25, Elizabeth responds to her pregnancy: 'Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.' In that culture, childlessness was viewed as divine disfavor, bringing social stigma. Elizabeth's 'reproach' was the shame and whispered pity she endured for years. God's gift of a son removed this disgrace, vindicating her before the community.