abjection

noun

ab·​jec·​tion ab-ˈjek-shən 

1

: a low or downcast state : degradation

2

: the act of making abject : humbling, rejection

I protest … this vile abjection of youth to age!

—G. B. Shaw

Synonyms of abjection

• degradation
• dissoluteness
• corruptness
• corruption

Examples of abjection in a Sentence

sees the corporate scandal as yet another sign of the general abjection of our society

Recent Examples on the Web

Though Houston is so elegant on the abjection attending desire, there’s a lot of sharp hope in these stories. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025

Anchoring it all is Luca Marinelli in a maximalist turn that conjures so many strongmen, real and fictional—the abjection of Richard III, the calculation of Putin, the coarseness of Trump, the bearish physicality of Tony Soprano in his bathrobe. —Judy Berman, Time, 2 Dec. 2025

This can involve extreme suffering or abjection; happiness is hardly the point. —Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

This is doubly true of the ending, which brings to the fore undeniable symmetry, but also a consideration that kept gnawing at me throughout the film: why is cinema so keen on exploring female sexuality primarily through abjection? —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abjectioun "humbleness, abject state, outcasts," borrowed from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French abjeccioun "rejection, outcasts," borrowed from Late Latin abjectiōn-, abjectiō "casting away, rejection, humbled condition, humbleness," going back to Latin, "dejection," from abicere "to throw down" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at abject

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for abjection

• advection
• affection
• bijection
• bisection
• collection
• complexion
• confection
• connection
• connexion
• convection
• correction
• defection