abasement
Americannoun
-
the state or condition of having been reduced in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; degradation.
Her self-respect, even in abasement, has kept her struggling upward.
We must look closely at what is happening to education in our country and challenge its abasement.
-
the act of reducing, humbling, or degrading someone or something.
The 1801 agreement led to the abasement of Austria and Prussia and the division of Europe between two great powers, France and Russia.
Etymology
Origin of abasement
Explanation
Abasement means humiliation or disgrace. Losing an important football game because of several stupid mistakes might result in abasement for the whole team. The noun abasement is good for describing the feeling of shame or disgrace that overcomes people who do something embarrassing or dishonorable. A political scandal or huge election loss can result in abasement for an entire party, and tripping and falling in the middle school cafeteria can cause a thirteen year-old's abasement. Abasement and its related verb, abase, come from an Old French root, abaissier, "diminish, or make lower in value or status."
Vocabulary lists containing abasement
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Grapes of Wrath
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She gave voice to her own humiliation and abasement, and in re-enacting that, you may feel a bit humiliated yourself, like a teenager slamming a bedroom door.
From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2019
A lesser songwriter would either paint the couple in a false glow of romance or wallow in the tawdry abasement.
From Slate • Aug. 8, 2019
Chris is only one of his many admirers, and so her devotion takes on an air of ritual abasement before a Great Man.
From The New Yorker • May 15, 2017
Public atonement requires public abasement and for public abasement, you need television.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 25, 2016
They even join in the “Wal-Mart cheer” when required to do so at meetings, I’m told by the evening fitting room lady, though I am fortunate enough never to witness this final abasement.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
