abash

American  

[uh-bash] / əˈbæʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed.

   to abash someone by sneering.

   Synonyms:

   embarrass, discompose, shame

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abash British  

/ əˈbæʃ /

verb

1. (tr; usually passive) to cause to feel ill at ease, embarrassed, or confused; make ashamed

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Other Word Forms

• abashment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of abash

1275–1325; Middle English abaishen < dialectal Old French abacher, Old French abaissier to put down, bring low ( see abase), perhaps conflated with Anglo-French abaiss-, long stem of abair, Old French esba ( h ) ir to gape, marvel, amaze ( es- ex- ¹ + -ba ( h ) ir, alteration of baer to open wide, gape < Vulgar Latin *batāre; bay ², bay ³ )

Explanation

Although abash sounds like a big party or what firefighters do to get through a locked door, abash is, in fact, a verb that means you have caused another person to feel awkward, bashful, embarrassed, or ashamed. To make your best friend feel abashed, you might tell her new boyfriend about the time she... but why would you want to embarrass her? Typically abash is used when something has a shaming effect. You might find yourself saying: “I was abashed by the magnitude of the others’ generosity so I donated twenty thousand more,” but you wouldn’t just use abash in place of embarrass. It would sound strange to warn, “Don’t do that, you’re going to abash yourself!”

Example Sentences

Abash, a-bash′, v.t. to confuse with shame or guilt.—pa.p.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

The names of these sons of Mizraim as given in history are as follows: Hind, Sind, Zeng, Nuba, Kanaan, Kush, Kopt, Berber and Hebesh, or Abash.

From The Negro: what is His Ethnological Status? 2nd Ed. by Payne, Buckner H. 'Ariel'

Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah

So the Saracens were defeated, and a marvellous number of them slain, and the King of Abash entered the Kingdom of Aden with all his host.

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Yule, Henry

And he with his host got back to their own country of Abash in great triumph and rejoicing; for he had well avenged the shame cast on him and on his Bishop for his sake.

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Yule, Henry