abase

verb

ə-ˈbās How to pronounce abase (audio)
Definition of abasenext
1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality was unwilling to abase himself by pleading guilty to a crime that he did not commit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes I certainly don't abase myself when I do good, honest manual labor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abase Pence has long since perfected the ability to abase himself in public without seeming the least bit ashamed. — Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2023 Unfortunately, an impulse to abase oneself isn’t resolved by a recognition that human life is a collaboration. — Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021 One by one, internees abase themselves before 60 of their fellow prisoners, repenting of their errors in thinking and their nonprogressive religious practices. — James E. Person Jr., National Review, 17 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abase
  1. degrade
  2. humiliate
  3. debase
  4. discredit
  5. weaken
  6. poison
  7. demean
  8. corrupt
Verb
  • Iran is unlikely to give up the leverage offered by having proxies spread across the region, even if some of them have been degraded by Israel or lost a foothold thanks to regime change, as is the case in Syria.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But now, Wright says Wendy’s has drifted from some of those qualities, telling investors that decisions made in the interest of cost and efficiency had degraded some of the food quality that set the chain apart.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • The bulk of these are in regions like Africa and South America, where governments have repeatedly debased national currencies, and prompted their citizens to seek out sturdier assets like Tether’s dollar and gold offerings instead.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • After seeing corrupt cops rewarded with medals and politics debase his best friend, now the courts can’t even be trusted to perform their solemn duty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of debase
Verb
  • Stafford played the Bears that week, and Jones needed to find a way to discredit Stafford and elevate Caleb Williams.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • By contrast, the defense will point to the parts of the book that are provably false, in an attempt to discredit it, explained David Roger, the former Clark County, Nevada, district attorney.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn’t done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts.
    — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Trump is also poisoning the process at a moment when the system for casting votes in the United States really does need shoring up.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • An unknown person has been poisoning mature pine trees at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village since 2022, with 16 more trees targeted this July and August — a case some suspect involves a wealthy resident trying to improve their view of Lake Tahoe.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • The Fishback file James Fishback, with no relevant accomplishments or experience, is running a disgracefully racist and antisemitic campaign marked by demeaning attacks on Donalds, who is Black.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • For generations, alligators featured prominently in imagery intended to demean Black Americans.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of demean
Verb
  • There, Prue must go on a journey to save her younger brother Mac from crows led by a woman named Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), who captures Curtis and attempts to corrupt him for her own mysterious purposes.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the notion of utopia became increasingly associated with the sci-fi genre, while the idea of creating a perfect social order here on earth was corrupted by totalitarian regimes.
    — Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt

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Cite this Entry

“Abase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abase. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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