Abject Definition

ăbjĕkt, ăb-jĕkt
adjective
abjecter, abjectest
Extremely contemptible or degrading.
Abject cowardice.
American Heritage
Of the lowest degree; miserable; wretched.
Abject poverty.
Webster's New World
Being of the most miserable kind; wretched.
Abject poverty; abject grief.
American Heritage
Lacking self-respect; degraded.
An abject coward.
Webster's New World
Thoroughgoing; complete. Used to modify pejorative nouns.
An abject failure.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
noun

A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a castaway; outcast. [First attested from the late 15th century.]

Wiktionary
Synonyms:
  • backscratching
  • meekhearted
  • footlicking
verb

(obsolete) To cast off or out; to reject. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17th century.]

Wiktionary

(obsolete) To cast down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17th century.]

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Abject

Noun

Singular:
abject
Plural:
abjects

Adjective

Base Form:
abject
Comparative:
abjecter
Superlative:
abjectest

Origin of Abject

  • Middle English outcast from Latin abiectus past participle of abicere to cast away ab- from ab–1 iacere to throw yē- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English abiect (“outcast, wretched”), from Latin abiectus, past participle of abiciō (“to throw away, cast off, to reject”), from ab (“away”) + iaciō (“to throw”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English abjecten, derived from the adjective form.

    From Wiktionary

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