abject

Definitions

ab- (away) + ject (throw) = 'thrown away.' Someone or something abject has been cast off, discarded — reduced to the lowest state. Abject poverty is poverty so extreme it's as if you've been thrown away by society.

Why It Means This

Abject is one of the darkest words in the ject family. To be abject is to have been thrown away from human dignity. The word always implies hitting bottom: abject poverty (utter destitution), abject failure (total collapse), abject apology (groveling, without pride). Unlike 'poor' or 'humble,' abject carries the violence of its etymology — the image of being hurled into the gutter.

Common Collocations

• 1.abject poverty极度贫困
• 2.abject failure彻底失败
• 3.abject fear极端恐惧
• 4.abject misery极度痛苦
• 5.abject apology卑躬屈膝的道歉

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Millions of people still live in abject poverty.

• 2.

  The mission ended in abject failure.

• 3.

  He offered an abject apology for his behavior.