abjection
Americannoun
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the condition of being servile, wretched, or contemptible.
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the act of humiliating.
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Mycology. the release of spores by a fungus.
Etymology
Origin of abjection
1375–1425; late Middle English abjectioun (< Middle French ) < Latin abjectiōn-, stem of abjectiō casting away, equivalent to abject ( us ) ( see abject) + -iōn- -ion; or ab- + (e)jection
Explanation
Abjection is a kind of depressed feeling, a bleak and heavyhearted state of mind. A series of terrible jobs might send you into a state of abjection. Disappointments and bad luck can lead to a feeling of abjection, like the abjection of a gloomy poet or the abjection you can sense in the losers of a spelling bee. Abjection comes from the adjective abject, which means hopeless or unpleasant. The Latin root is abjectionem, which is literally "a throwing away," though its common meaning is "dejection or despondency."
Vocabulary lists containing abjection
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.
Her Roberta is prepared to drown in her own abjection, but Abbott’s Danny keeps throwing himself to her as a lifeline.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023
What mattered more was always the creativity and abjection with which the contestants approached his personal challenge: Prove your loyalty through self-betrayal.
From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2023
They are in costume to play the role of pure abjection, expressing the painter’s inner state more than any genuine state of poverty in the real world.
From Washington Post • Mar. 31, 2022
And I think you should cultivate a multiplicity of friendships with gay, bi, and trans people, so that you have a great deal of support in your life that’s not dependent on queer abjection.
From Slate • Dec. 7, 2020
“And not to Iceland. Oh please, your fordship, please . . .” And in a paroxysm of abjection he threw himself on his knees before the Controller.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
