abject

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Related to abject: abject fear

abject

debasing, degrading; contemptible; despicable: an abject liar; miserable; wretched: abject poverty

Not to be confused with:

object – a thing or person to which an action is directed: an object of affection; target; destination; intention; motive

ab·ject

(ăb′jĕkt′, ăb-jĕkt′)

adj.

1. Extremely contemptible or degrading: abject cowardice. See Synonyms at base².

2. Being of the most miserable kind; wretched: abject poverty; abject grief.

3. Thoroughgoing; complete. Used to modify pejorative nouns: an abject failure.

4. Extremely submissive or self-abasing: abject apologies.

[Middle English, outcast, from Latin abiectus, past participle of abicere, to cast away : ab-, from; see ab-¹ + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

ab′ject′ly adv.

ab·ject′ness n.

ab·jec′tion n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

abject

(ˈæbdʒɛkt)

adj

1. utterly wretched or hopeless

2. miserable; forlorn; dejected

3. indicating humiliation; submissive: an abject apology.

4. contemptible; despicable; servile: an abject liar.

[C14: (in the sense: rejected, cast out): from Latin abjectus thrown or cast away, from abjicere, from ab- away + jacere to throw]

abˈjection n

ˈabjectly adv

ˈabjectness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ab•ject

(ˈæb dʒɛkt, æbˈdʒɛkt)

adj.

1. utterly hopeless or wretched: abject poverty.

2. contemptible; despicable: an abject coward.

3. servile; submissive; slavish.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin abjectus, past participle of abicere, abjicere to hurl, throw down, debase =ab- ab- + -jicere, comb. form of jacere to throw]

ab•ject′ly, adv.

ab•ject′ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	abject - 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" low-down, scummy, scurvy, miserable, low contemptible - deserving of contempt or scorn
	2.	abject - most unfortunate or miserable; "the most abject slaves joined in the revolt"; "abject poverty" unfortunate - not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned"
	3.	abject - showing utter resignation or hopelessness; "abject surrender" unhopeful hopeless - without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success; "in an agony of hopeless grief"; "with a hopeless sigh he sat down"
	4.	abject - showing humiliation or submissiveness; "an abject apology"

abject

adjective

1. wretched, miserable, hopeless, dismal, outcast, pitiful, forlorn, deplorable, pitiable Both of them died in abject poverty.

2. servile, humble, craven, cringing, fawning, submissive, grovelling, subservient, slavish, mean, low, obsequious He sounded abject and eager to please.
servile high, great, august, grand, distinguished, worthy, noble, elevated, eminent, dignified, lofty, exalted, patrician

3. despicable, base, degraded, worthless, vile, sordid, debased, reprehensible, contemptible, dishonourable, ignoble, detestable, scungy (Austral. & N.Z.) the kind of abject low-life that preys on children

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

بَائِس، مُدْقَع

ubohý

elendigusselynkelig

armselig erbärmlich

άθλιος

abyecto

misérable pauvre abject extrême lâche

hörmungar-, eymdar-

miserabile sprezzante vile abietto infame

apgailėtinaiapgailėtinasvarganaivarganas

nožēlojams

elendig ynkelig

acınacakaşağılık sefil

可怜的

abject

[ˈæbdʒekt] ADJ

1. (= wretched) [condition] → deplorable; [state] → lamentable
England's abject performance in the World Cup → la pésima actuación de Inglaterra en el Mundial

2. (= grovelling) → sumiso
an abject slave to fashion → un esclavo sumiso de la moda
he sounded abject → su tono era sumiso y arrepentido
we received an abject apology from the travel company → recibimos una carta de la agencia de viajes deshaciéndose en disculpas

3. (as intensifier) [misery, failure] → absoluto; [stupidity] → supino; [cowardice] → abyecto, vil (liter); [surrender] → indigno
to live in abject poverty → vivir en la miseria más absoluta

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

abject

[ˈæbdʒɛkt] adj

[poverty] → sordide

[failure, defeat] → pitoyable; [surrender] → pitoyable; [performance] → pitoyable

[terror, humiliation] → pitoyable

[coward] → méprisable

an abject apology → une excuse plate

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

abject

adj

(= wretched) state, liar, thief → elend, erbärmlich; poverty → bitter; failure → kläglich

(= servile) submission, apology → demütig; person, gesture → unterwürfig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

abject

[ˈæbdʒɛkt] (frm) adj (poverty) → abietto/a; (apology) → umiliante; (coward) → indegno/a, vile

abject

(ˈӕbdʒekt) adjective

miserable; wretched. abject poverty.

ˈabjectly adverb

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References in classic literature ?

But the words were hardly uttered, before the smile was struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair, as froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below.

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Meanwhile, man, having fought and won his fight for this personal liberty, only to find himself a more abject slave than before, is turning with loathing from his egotist's dream of independence to the collective interests of society, with the welfare of which he now perceives his own happiness to be inextricably bound up.

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But all these things may be comprehended in three divisions, for there are three objects which a tyranny has in view; one of which is, that the citizens should be of poor abject dispositions; for such men never propose to conspire against any one.

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The New World may have its disappointments in store for us, but it cannot possibly show us any spectacle so abject as the spectacle which we witnessed last night at my aunt's ball.

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The more abject of the two victims continued motionless; but the other bounded from the place at the cry, with the activity and swiftness of a deer.

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Agathocles, the Sicilian,[*] became King of Syracuse not only from a private but from a low and abject position.

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The doctor, therefore, left it on the 17th of March, 1854, and fled to the frontier, where he remained for thirty-three days in the most abject destitution.

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Not love so much as the satisfaction of vanity." She remembered his words, the expression of his face, that recalled an abject setter-dog, in the early days of their connection.

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"Since the memorable adventure of the fulling mills," said Don Quixote, "I have never seen Sancho in such a fright as now; were I as superstitious as others his abject fear would cause me some little trepidation of spirit.

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And as he rolled, and felt sharp teeth pricking him, he snapped and snarled, alternating snarls with whimperings and squallings of terror, pain, and abject humility.

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They are strong and hardy, but of a cowardly spirit, and, by consequence, insolent, abject, and cruel.

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Three or four years before abject poverty had driven him to take the job of press-representative to a large firm of drapers; and though he felt the work unworthy his abilities, which he rated highly, the firmness of his wife and the needs of his family had made him stick to it.