abject

adjective

ab·​ject ˈab-ˌjekt 

1

: sunk to or existing in a low state or condition : very bad or severe

living in abject poverty

to lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen

—John Milton

abject failure

2

a

: cast down in spirit : servile, spiritless

a man made abject by suffering

an abject coward

b

: showing hopelessness or resignation

abject surrender

3

: expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit

abject flattery

an abject apology

abjectly

ˈab-ˌjek(t)-lē 

ab-ˈjek(t)-

adverb

abjectness

ˈab-ˌjek(t)-nəs 

ab-ˈjek(t)-

noun

Did you know?

Abject comes from the Latin abjectus (meaning "downcast," "humble," or "sordid"), the past participle of the Latin verb abicere, meaning "to cast off." Its original meaning in English was "cast off" or "rejected," but it is now used to refer more broadly to things in a low state or condition. Abject shares with mean, ignoble, and sordid the sense of being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity.

Synonyms

• base
• humble
• menial
• servile
• slavish

Choose the Right Synonym for abject

mean, ignoble, abject, sordid mean being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity.

mean suggests small-mindedness, ill temper, or cupidity.

mean and petty satire

ignoble suggests a loss or lack of some essential high quality of mind or spirit.

an ignoble scramble after material possessions

abject may imply degradation, debasement, or servility.

abject poverty

sordid is stronger than all of these in stressing physical or spiritual degradation and abjectness.

a sordid story of murder and revenge

Examples of abject in a Sentence

… the time would come that no human being should be humiliated or be made abject. —Katherine Anne Porter, The Never-Ending Wrong, 1977

… my critical intelligence sometimes shrivels to an abject nodding of the head. —Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1971

… nothing seemed to have changed at the Beehive across the years. The same pallid employees were visible in the same abject state of peonage, cringing under the whiplash of overseers. —S. J. Perelman, Baby, It's Cold Inside, 1970

They live in abject misery.

He offered an abject apology.

She thought he was an abject coward.

Recent Examples on the Web

For the most part, open-source projects weren’t evenly distributed across teams of volunteers; they were managed by at most a few individuals, who spent the bulk of their waking hours in abject thrall to a user-complaint queue. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 28 May 2025

This false sense of security is amplified by Kat being composed enough to snark at her rescuer seconds before catastrophe, in contrast to most of Death’s victims, who spend their last moments in abject terror. —Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025

There’s been the sublime, the abject, high drama, controversy, punch ups. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Based on lottery odds, two years of abject losing might (but only might) get you a top-three pick. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "outcast, rejected, lowly," borrowed from Latin abjectus "downcast, humble, sordid," from past participle of abicere "to throw away, throw down, overcome, abandon," from ab- ab- + -icere, reduced form of jacere "to throw" — more at jet entry 3

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

abject

adjective

ab·​ject ˈab-ˌjekt 

: very low in spirit or hope : wretched

abject misery

an abject coward

abjectly

ˈab-ˌjek-(t)lē 

ab-ˈjek-

adverb

abjectness

-ˌjek(t)-nəs 

-ˈjek(t)-

noun