adj

abject

ABD-zhehkt

adj

Experienced or done in the most extreme or miserable degree, especially poverty or failure.

"The refugees were living in abject poverty."

"The team suffered an abject defeat in the final."

Lacking self-respect or dignity; deserving contempt.

"He offered an abject apology, practically begging for forgiveness."

How to Use Abject

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsed to intensify something bad — total, wretched, or humiliating, especially poverty, failure, or misery.

Common pairings

abject poverty abject failure abject apology

abjecter comparative, more abject comparative, abjected past tense, abjects plural, abjects singular, abjectest superlative, most abject superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “abject” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The refugees were living in _____ poverty.

From Latin abiectus, "thrown away, cast aside," from ab- ("away") + iacere ("to throw") — the same root as "reject" and "project."