English Explanatory Dictionary

abject

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable.
  2. Complete; downright; utter.
  3. Lower than nearby areas; low-lying.
  4. Of a person: cast down in hope or spirit; showing utter helplessness, hopelessness, or resignation; also, grovelling; ingratiating; servile.
  5. Marginalized as deviant.
noun
  1. A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; an oppressed person; an outcast; also, such people as a class.
verb
  1. To cast off or out (someone or something); to reject, especially as contemptible or inferior.
  2. To cast down (someone or something); to abase; to debase; to degrade; to lower; also, to forcibly impose obedience or servitude upon (someone); to subjugate.
  3. Of a fungus: to (forcibly) give off (spores or sporidia).

Pronunciation

ăbʹjĕkt /ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/ En-uk-abject.ogg /ˈæbˌd͡ʒɛkt/ En-ca-abject.ogg ăbjĕktʹ /æbˈd͡ʒɛkt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-abject2.wav

Word forms

abject abjecter more abject abjectest most abject abjects abjecting abjected

Etymology

PIE word *h₂epó The adjective is derived from Late Middle English abiect, abject (adjective) [and other forms], from Middle French abject (modern French abject, abjet (obsolete)), and from its etymon Latin abiectus (“abandoned; cast aside”), an adjective use of the perfect passive participle of abiciō (“to discard, throw away”), from ab- (prefix meaning ‘away from’) + iaciō (“to throw”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- (“to throw”)). The noun is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Italian abiecto (obsolete), abietto * Late Latin abiectus (“humble or poor person”, noun) * Spanish abjecto (obsolete), abyecto

Synonyms

degraded demiss ignoble mean vile wretched worthless out-and-out unmitigated abject frightful absolute arrant categoric categorical complete consummate decided downright full full-blown full-bore full-on mere outright perfect precious proper pure stark rank regular right root and branch sheer straight-out thorough thoroughgoing total unadulterated unalloyed unattenuated uncompromising unconditional unfettered unqualified unreserved unrestricted utter wholesale beggarly cringing slavish heanling wretch

Antonyms

unabject

Related words

abjection abjective

Derived words

abjectification abjectify abjectly abjectness nonabject unabject abjected abjectedness
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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