ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Abase

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /əˈbeɪs/ · Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Abase is a verb meaning (transitive, archaic) To lower physically; to depress; to cast or throw down; to stoop.

Meaning

(transitive, archaic) To lower physically; to depress; to cast or throw down; to stoop.

More Meanings

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To lower in value, in particular by altering the content of alloys in coins; to debase.
  2. (transitive) To lower, as in condition in life, office, rank, etc., so as to cause pain or hurt feelings; to degrade, to depress, to humble, to humiliate.

Example Sentences

to abase the eye
For whoſoeuer exalteth himſelfe ſhalbe abaſed: and hee that humbleth himſelfe, ſhalbe exalted.
Her gracious words their rancour did appall, / And ſuncke ſo deepe into their boyling breſts, / That downe they lett their cruel weapons fall, / And lowly did abaſe their lofty creſts, / To her faire preſence, and diſcrete beheſts.
In early January, [then Washington Post Opinion Editor David] Shipley rejected a cartoon by Pulitzer Prize-winning staffer Ann Telnaes, whose proposed sketch showed Bezos alongside other tech and media billionaires abasing themselves before Trump.

Word Forms

Synonyms for abase

Depending on context, synonyms include degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, humble.

Antonyms for abase

Common opposites include aggrandise, dignify, elevate, exalt, extol, honor.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include humiliate, chagrin, mortify, humble, degrade, demean.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.