Abase: meaning, definitions and examples

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abase

 

[ əˈbeɪs ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

in a negative way

To abase someone is to humiliate or degrade them, either by making them feel inferior or by actually lowering their rank or standing. It's a way of bringing someone down and making them feel small.

Synonyms

belittle, degrade, humiliate

Examples of usage

  • He was abased by the harsh criticism from his boss.
  • She refused to abase herself by begging for forgiveness.
Context #2 | Verb

in a moral sense

To abase oneself is to humble or lower oneself in a moral or dignified manner. It can involve showing humility or modesty in a situation where one might be tempted to act arrogantly.

Synonyms

debase, humble, modest

Examples of usage

  • She chose to abase herself and apologize for her mistake.
  • He abased himself before the wise elder, seeking guidance.

Translations

Translations of the word "abase" in other languages:

🇵🇹 humilhar

🇮🇳 नीचा दिखाना

🇩🇪 erniedrigen

🇮🇩 merendahkan

🇺🇦 принижувати

🇵🇱 poniżać

🇯🇵 貶める (おとしめる)

🇫🇷 humilier

🇪🇸 humillar

🇹🇷 aşağılamak

🇰🇷 비하하다

🇸🇦 إذلال

🇨🇿 ponížit

🇸🇰 ponížiť

🇨🇳 贬低 (biǎndī)

🇸🇮 ponižati

🇮🇸 niðurlægja

🇰🇿 қорлау

🇬🇪 დამცირება (damcireba)

🇦🇿 aşağılamak

🇲🇽 humillar

Etymology

The word 'abase' comes from Middle English 'abassen', from Old French 'abaisser', from a- (from Latin 'ad', meaning 'to') + 'bais', ultimately of Germanic origin. The sense development in Middle English was influenced by the word 'base'.

See also: base, baseball, based, baseless, baselessly, basement, basic, basin, basis, debase, debased, debasement.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,602 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.