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
  • The attacks, involving fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels, struck missile and drone facilities, naval assets and coastal defense systems to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping, Centcom said.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Preserving the forests that remain, while restoring those that have been degraded, may ultimately prove far more valuable than chasing ever-larger tree-planting targets alone.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • One has to be willing to humiliate oneself in order to yodel, there is no spiritual bypass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • In spite of their original values of humanitarianism and neutrality, these organizations have been morally debased from within, using the language of human rights and international justice yet deploying it on behalf of autocracies and against the liberal democracies that created them.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of debase
Verb
  • Kiryl Pazniak, 49, who hosted a popular political show on YouTube, has been convicted on the charges of discrediting Belarus and forming an extremist organization, the group said — accusations widely used by authorities to stifle critical voices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
  • Green said earlier this year that Adebayo shouldn’t be underestimated and his 83-point game against Washington shouldn’t be discredited.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of discredit
Verb
  • The flow of dark traffic is one of the factors that helped explain why oil markets had weakened significantly by early June, together with a surge in exports from the US and pullback in buying by China.
    — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • But as several surveys have consistently indicated, optimism about our country's outlook has undeniably weakened.
    — Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Not knowing she’d been poisoned and that it was related to Russian espionage, Rowley decided to run a few errands before joining her there.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • Cavalli was not using this as a racial slur, but plenty of black athletes have used it to demean white people without the league getting involved, without suspensions, and zero fines for their offenses.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Dean also wrote that she was also subjected to demeaning comments from the late radio host Don Imus during her tenure as a news editor and reporter for his program in the early 2000s.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of demean
Verb
  • The unsightly mushroom could have corrupted her maids’ morals, or even their health.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
  • Radiation from space and other high-energy environments can corrupt data or permanently damage conventional electronics.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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