Meaning & Definition
adjective
Extremely bad, unpleasant, or degrading.
They lived in abject poverty, struggling to meet their basic needs.
Experienced to the maximum degree.
His abject failure in the competition was a hard lesson to learn.
Showing hopelessness or resignation.
After losing everything in the fire, she felt an abject sense of despair.
Miserable; wretched.
The conditions in the refugee camp were abject, with little access to food or clean water.
Sunk to a low condition; cast down.
He made an abject apology for his rude behavior.
Etymology
From Latin 'abjectus', the past participle of 'abicere' meaning 'to throw away'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
abject lesson:
A lesson in humility, often learned from a humiliating or adverse experience.
abject failure:
A complete and utter failure with no remaining hope.
abject poverty:
Extreme poverty that makes one's condition very miserable.
Slang Meanings
Used to describe someone who is in a pitiful state.
He's in such an abject state after the breakup; you can't even talk to him.
Referring to something that is utterly disappointing or pathetic.
That movie was abject; I can't believe I wasted two hours on it.