abject

/'æbdʤekt/

Thân thiện

A man offers an abject apology after a mistake.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely bad, severe, or degrading: Used to describe conditions or situations of the worst possible kind.
   • Completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing: Describes behavior showing extreme humiliation or submission.
   • Deserving contempt; despicable: Expresses utter worthlessness or baseness.

Examples of Usage

• Describing severe conditions:
  • The refugees lived in abject poverty.
  • The report detailed the abject failure of the policy.
• Describing submissive or humiliating behavior:
  • He made an abject apology for his mistake.
  • Her abject surrender to their demands surprised everyone.
• Expressing contemptible quality:
  • It was an act of abject cowardice.
  • His abject betrayal of his friends was unforgivable.

Advanced Usage

• "abject misery/horror/fear": Used to intensify nouns describing extreme negative states.
  • The prisoners were kept in abject misery.
  • She felt abject terror at the thought of speaking in public.
• "abject lesson": A stark and humiliating example that serves as a warning.
  • The company's collapse served as an abject lesson in poor management.

Variants and Related Words

• Abjectly (adverb): In an abject manner.
  • He abjectly begged for forgiveness.
• Abjectness (noun): The state or quality of being abject.
  • The abjectness of their living conditions was shocking.

Synonyms

• Despicable: Deserving hatred and contempt.
• Contemptible: Deserving scorn; vile.
• Wretched: In a very unhappy or unfortunate state.
• Base: Without moral principles; ignoble.
• Servile: Excessively willing to serve or please others.

Antonyms

• Noble: Having fine personal qualities or high moral principles.
• Dignified: Having or showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respect.
• Exalted: At a high or powerful level; held in high regard.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• "abject poverty": A standard phrase denoting the most severe and degrading form of poverty.
  • The charity works to relieve abject poverty in the region.
• "abject surrender": Complete and humiliating capitulation.
  • The army's abject surrender ended the conflict.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. showing humiliation or submissiveness
   • an abject apology
2. showing utter resignation or hopelessness
   • abject surrender
3. most unfortunate or miserable
   • the most abject slaves joined in the revolt
   • abject poverty
4. of the most contemptible kind
   • abject cowardice
   • a low stunt to pull
   • a low-down sneak
   • his miserable treatment of his family
   • You miserable skunk!
   • a scummy rabble
   • a scurvy trick

Từ đồng nghĩa

• unhopeful
• low
• low-down
• miserable
• scummy
• scurvy