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abase

/əˈbeɪs/
/əˈbeɪs/
IPA guide

Other forms: abased; abasing; abases

To abase something or someone is to humiliate them — no, more than just humiliate them. If you abase another person you are bringing them low, humbling them in a mean, base manner. Not nice at all.

Abase means to bring someone down, often either in their job or their self-esteem. The early Latin bassus, which meant "thick, low," evolved into the Old French abaissier, meaning "to make lower in value or status." The important clue to the word is "base." Consider that the base of anything is the bottom, and you get an idea as to the meaning of the word abase, which means to make someone feel low.

Definitions of abase
  1. verb
    cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
    see moresee less
    types:
    crush, demolish, smash
    humiliate or depress completely
    degrade, demean, disgrace, put down, take down
    reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
    reduce
    lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation
    dehumanise, dehumanize
    deprive of human qualities
    type of:
    bruise, hurt, injure, offend, spite, wound
    hurt the feelings of
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