Meanings
plural abasements
- countableuncountableThe act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low.First known use Mid 16ᵗʰ century.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:abasement.
Synonyms: abjection, debasement, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation, depravation, depression, deterioration
- countableuncountableThe state of being abased or humbled; humiliation or degradation; a feeling of having been reduced in dignity, reputation, stature, self-esteem or respect.First known use Mid 16ᵗʰ century.
After his actions, my abasement is complete, and I can be humiliated no more.
2 more examples
He was wearing cavalry twill trousers and a buff crew-neck sweater. The effect was of symbolic abasement mixed with military resolve […]
2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 17, in The Line of Beauty […], London: Picador, →ISBNThomas J. Millay (2022), The Abased Christ, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG: “He wants to emphasize the abasement Christ chose while on Earth.”
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low.
antonyms of "abasement"
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchabaissement“astonishment”
- Middle Englishabaissement
- Englishabasement
From Middle English abaissement, from Middle French abaissement (“astonishment”). Equivalent to abase + -ment. Compare French abaissement.
More words from Middle English, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic ذُلّ
- ذُلّ (ḏull)the act of abasing
Bulgarian унижение, понижение
- унижение (uniženie)the act of abasing
- понижение (poniženie)the act of abasing
Catalan humiliació, degradació
- humiliacióthe act of abasing
- degradacióthe act of abasing
Dutch vernedering, kleinering
- vernederingthe act of abasing
- kleineringthe act of abasing
Esperanto malaltigo, humiligo
- malaltigothe act of abasing
- humiligothe act of abasing
Finnish alennus, alennustila
- alennusthe act of abasing
- alennustilathe act of abasing
- nöyryytysthe act of abasing
French humiliation
- humiliationthe act of abasing
German Erniedrigung
- Erniedrigungthe act of abasing
Greek εξευτελισμός, υποβίβαση
- εξευτελισμός (exeftelismós)the act of abasing
- υποβίβαση (ypovívasi)the act of abasing
- ταπείνωση (tapeínosi)the act of abasing
Icelandic auðmýking, lítillækkun
- auðmýkingthe act of abasing
- lítillækkunthe act of abasing
Indonesian penghinaan
- penghinaanthe act of abasing
Irish náiriú, uirísliú
- náiriúthe act of abasing
- uirísliúthe act of abasing
Italian umiliazione, mortificazione
- umiliazionethe act of abasing
- mortificazionethe act of abasing
- degradazionethe act of abasing
Malay penghinaan
- penghinaanthe act of abasing
Māori whakamā
- whakamāthe act of abasing
Norwegian Bokmål fornedrelse, ydmykelse
- fornedrelsethe act of abasing
- ydmykelsethe act of abasing
Portuguese rebaixe, humilhação
- rebaixethe act of abasing
- humilhaçãothe act of abasing
- aviltamentothe act of abasing
Romanian înjosire, degradare
- înjosirethe act of abasing
- degradarethe act of abasing
- umilirethe act of abasing
Russian униже́ние
- униже́ние (unižénije)the act of abasing
Spanish rebajamiento, abatimiento
- rebajamientothe act of abasing
- abatimientothe act of abasing
- humillaciónthe act of abasing
Welsh darostyngiad, iselhad
- darostyngiadthe act of abasing
- iselhadthe act of abasing
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with abasement
All rhymes →Cite this entry
abasement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abasement
“abasement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abasement. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abasement,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abasement.
Source: abasement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.