abject
adjective
John Milton 
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Abject comes from the Latin abjectus (meaning "downcast," "humble," or "sordid"), the past participle of the Latin verb abicere, meaning "to cast off." Its original meaning in English was "cast off" or "rejected," but it is now used to refer more broadly to things in a low state or condition. Abject shares with mean, ignoble, and sordid the sense of being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity.
Synonyms
- base
- humble
- menial
- servile
- slavish
Example Sentences
Katherine Anne Porter, The Never-Ending Wrong, 1977 … my critical intelligence sometimes shrivels to an abject nodding of the head. Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1971 … nothing seemed to have changed at the Beehive across the years. The same pallid employees were visible in the same abject state of peonage, cringing under the whiplash of overseers. S. J. Perelman, Baby, It's Cold Inside, 1970 They live in abject misery. He offered an abject apology. She thought he was an abject coward. See More Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Steve McCraw, the head of Texas DPS, has called the police response an abject failure. Jake Bleiberg And Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2022 That season wound up an abject disaster, as Perry threw three touchdowns with 12 interceptions, and USC won just three games. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2022 Steve McCraw, the head of Texas DPS, has called the police response an abject failure. Jake Bleiberg And Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2022 Steve McCraw, the head of Texas DPS, has called the police response an abject failure. Jake Bleiberg And Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2022 At the same time, there is ample evidence that online schooling and pandemic education have been an abject failure—especially for black students. Nikki Johnson, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2022 There’s really no other way to put it: The response from law enforcement and politicians has been an abject failure through and through. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 Steve McCraw, the head of Texas DPS, has called the police response an abject failure. Jake Bleiberg And Paul J. Weber, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, "outcast, rejected, lowly," borrowed from Latin abjectus "downcast, humble, sordid," from past participle of abicere "to throw away, throw down, overcome, abandon," from ab- ab- + -icere, reduced form of jacere "to throw" — more at jet entry 3
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
abject
adjective
abject
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- humble
- servile
- meek
- slavish
- menial
- sheepish
- base
- hangdog
- sycophantic
- fawning
- lamblike
- lowly
- unassuming
- sycophant
- modest
- retiring
- unpretentious
- demure
- toadyish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- supercilious
- imperious
- haughty
- arrogant
- superior
- uppity
- lordly
- high-handed
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of abject are ignoble, mean, and sordid. While all these words mean "being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity," abject may imply degradation, debasement, or servility.
In some situations, the words ignoble and abject are roughly equivalent. However, ignoble suggests a loss or lack of some essential high quality of mind or spirit.
While in some cases nearly identical to abject, mean suggests small-mindedness, ill temper, or cupidity.
Although the words sordid and abject have much in common, sordid is stronger than all of these in stressing physical or spiritual degradation and abjectness.