adjective
abject
AB-jekt/ˈæbdʒekt/
Reduced to an extreme state of misery or humiliation.
He sits in abject misery on the cold, wet pavement.
Etymology
The literal image is being thrown away or cast off. Applied to people and their condition, it became being brought low or degraded, which underlies the sense of extreme misery or hopelessness.
In context
Sadly she turned over in her bed, and with shut eyes put her burning face on the pillow, to hide, as it were, from herself her abject depth of shame.
More examples
- The prisoners lived in abject poverty.
- He offered an abject apology and begged to be forgiven.
- Their campaign ended in abject failure.
Forms
abject · more abject · most abject
Similar words
- wretched
- Emphasizes misery without always implying degradation.
- destitute
- Destitute lacks necessities; abject emphasizes misery or degradation beyond material need alone.