Word
abastardize
Phoneticsabas·tardize
Definition
v. to treat someone or something very badly, often by being cruel or unfair. It is an old-fashioned way to say someone is being treated like a low-class person.
v. to treat someone or something in a cruel, unfair, or contemptuous manner.
Examples
“The king was accused of abastardizing his subjects.”
“The historical novel describes how the noble family sought to abastardize the local peasants to maintain their power.”
“Scholars argue that the author's harsh treatment of the protagonist serves to abastardize the character, stripping him of any sympathy the reader might otherwise feel.”
Examples
simple
“The king was accused of abastardizing his subjects.”
contextual
“The historical novel describes how the noble family sought to abastardize the local peasants to maintain their power.”
complex
“Scholars argue that the author's harsh treatment of the protagonist serves to abastardize the character, stripping him of any sympathy the reader might otherwise feel.”
Etymology
From Middle French abastardir, from Old French a- + bastart (“bastard”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.