disgrace / humiliation
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disgrace
A major, often public humiliation or dishonor that seriously damages someone's reputation or honor.
Die 0:7-Niederlage war eine Schmach für die gesamte Mannschaft.
The 7-0 defeat was a disgrace for the entire team.
'Schmach' (disgrace) is a very strong and rather elevated word. It is used for major, public humiliations and sounds more dramatic and formal than everyday embarrassments.
Die Enthüllung des Skandals war eine große Schmach für den Politiker.
The revelation of the scandal was a great disgrace for the politician.
This noun is often used in fixed combinations. Typical phrases are 'eine Schmach erleiden' (to suffer a disgrace), 'eine Schmach für jemanden sein' (to be a disgrace for someone), or combinations with a defeat.
Die Mannschaft musste eine bittere Schmach erleiden.
The team had to suffer a bitter disgrace.
'Die Schmach' (disgrace) is related to the verb 'schmähen' (to insult someone severely, to mock) and the adjective 'schmählich' (shameful, dishonorable).
Er ist schmählich im Turnier gescheitert.
He failed shamefully in the tournament.
honor
'die Ehre' and 'die Schmach' stand in clear contrast when it comes to a person's reputation. 'Ehre' means respect, standing, and a good reputation. 'Schmach' means a strong humiliation, often in front of others, through which this good reputation is damaged. You use 'Ehre' when someone is respected, and 'Schmach' when someone feels ashamed or dishonored.
Nach der öffentlichen Niederlage empfand der Politiker die Situation als große Schmach.
After the public defeat, the politician felt the situation was a great disgrace.
Für den alten Trainer war es eine große Ehre, dass das Team ihn noch einmal eingeladen hat.
For the old coach, it was a great honor that the team invited him one more time.