ABASEMENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does abasement mean? 

• ABASEMENT (noun)
  The noun ABASEMENT has 2 senses:

1. a low or downcast state

2. depriving one of self-esteem

  Familiarity information: ABASEMENT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABASEMENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A low or downcast state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

abasement; abjection; degradation

Context example:

each confession brought her into an attitude of abasement

Hypernyms ("abasement" is a kind of...):

humiliation (state of disgrace or loss of self-respect)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abasement"):

decadence; decadency; degeneracy; degeneration (the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities)

depth ((usually plural) a low moral state)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Depriving one of self-esteem

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

abasement; humiliation

Hypernyms ("abasement" is a kind of...):

debasement; degradation (changing to a lower state (a less respected state))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "abasement"):

comedown (decline to a lower status or level)

Derivation:

abase (cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of)

 Context examples 

White Fang crawled slowly, cringing and grovelling in the abjectness of his abasement and submission.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He was humble and meek, filled with self-disparagement and abasement.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I was not so vexed at losing Agnes as I might have been, since it gave me an opportunity of making myself known to Traddles on the stairs, who greeted me with great fervour; while Uriah writhed with such obtrusive satisfaction and self-abasement, that I could gladly have pitched him over the banisters.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But the words to her thought came quickly; the echo of the scream had not ceased to ring on the air when there came the reaction, and she sank on her knees on the floor in an agony of abasement.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)