ENGLISH
REFERENCE

abasements

n. C / U
C2 Proficiency abase·ments

n. the act of treating someone in a way that makes them lose their self-respect or feel very ashamed. It often involves making someone feel lower in rank or importance.

n. the act of humiliating or degrading someone, or the state of being lowered in rank, prestige, or estimation. Often carries a connotation of forced submission or the stripping of dignity.


SIMPLE

He could not endure the constant abasements from his boss.

CONTEXTUAL

The prisoner was forced to undergo several public abasements intended to break his spirit and discourage his followers.

COMPLEX

The history of the regime is a long record of ritual abasements, where officials were regularly forced to confess to imaginary crimes to prove their absolute loyalty to the state.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the singular to describe the state of being humbled, or in the plural to describe specific acts of humiliation.

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