abject

Meaning

Adj

1. Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable.
2. (broadly) Complete; downright; utter.
3. (broadly, rare) Lower than nearby areas; low-lying.
4. Of a person: cast down in hope or spirit; showing utter helplessness, hopelessness, or resignation; also, grovelling; ingratiating; servile.
5. (noun-from-verb, usually) Marginalized as deviant.

Noun

A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; an oppressed person; an outcast; also, such people as a class.

Verb

1. (archaic, transitive) To cast off or out (someone or something); to reject, especially as contemptible or inferior.
2. (archaic, transitive) To cast down (someone or something); to abase; to debase; to degrade; to lower; also, to forcibly impose obedience or servitude upon (someone); to subjugate.
3. (archaic, transitive) Of a fungus: to (forcibly) give off (spores or sporidia).

Opposite of

unabject

Synonyms

miserable

low

wretched

meager

dismal

mean

despicable

vile

base

forlorn

contemptible

squalid

shameful

pitiable

nasty

poor

ignoble

pitiful

debasing

unhopeful

abominable

loathsome

unenviable

subservient

servile

disgraceful

scurvy

slavish

humble

hopeless

piteous

sordid

beggarly

depraved

gross

deplorable

low-down

menial

dejected

outcast

abhorrent

lowlife

obsequious

scummy

sorry

extreme

drastic

dramatic

degrading

dire

Translations

misérable

abject

abietto

άθλιος

verachtelijk

verächtlich

abyecto

miserabile

schunnig

jämmerlich

nietswaardig

vil

elend

gemein

ellendig

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: abiect

Cognate with French: abject

Cognate with Italian: abiecto

Cognate with Spanish: abjecto

Inherited from Middle English: abjecten

In summary

PIE word
*h₂epó
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English abiect, abject (adjective) [and other forms], from Middle French abject (modern French abject, abjet (obsolete)), and from its etymon Latin abiectus (“abandoned; cast aside”), an adjective use of the perfect passive participle of abiciō (“to discard, throw away”), from ab- (prefix meaning ‘away from’) + iaciō (“to throw”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- (“to throw”)).
The noun is derived from the adjective.
Cognates
* Italian abiecto (obsolete), abietto
* Late Latin abiectus (“humble or poor person”, noun)
* Spanish abjecto (obsolete), abyecto