abject
Americanadjective
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utterly wretched or hopeless
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miserable; forlorn; dejected
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indicating humiliation; submissive
an abject apology
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contemptible; despicable; servile
an abject liar
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abject
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin abjectus thrown down (past participle of abicere, abjicere ), equivalent to ab- ab- + -jec- throw + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
If it reeks of humiliation or looks like the lowest of lows, then you can safely describe it as abject. The pronunciation of abject is up for debate: you can decide whether to stress the first or the second syllable. But what's more important is understanding how extreme this adjective is. Abject means absolutely miserable, the most unfortunate, with utter humiliation. You might have heard the phrase abject poverty, which is the absolute worst, most hopeless level of poverty you've ever seen.
Vocabulary lists containing abject
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 12, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Haiti for decades has suffered from abject poverty, corruption, political instability and natural disasters like a devastating earthquake in 2010.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Although England won the fourth Test in Melbourne, their first win in Australia for 14 years, their performances elsewhere were abject – a threadbare squad left ill-prepared for the demands of a tour down under.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The German revived Rangers' fortunes following an abject start to the season, turning the team from mid-table stragglers to title contenders.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Brontë subjects her characters to the competing influences of the two houses; those who venture too close to the Heights—such as Catherine’s daughter, years later—get sucked into the abject darkness within.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
There was no counterbalance to stagnation, to pessimism, to the most abject surrenders to mysticism.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
