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abject

Adjective

IPA /ˈæbdʒekt/

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Meaning in plain English

Extremely bad and offering very little hope, especially when describing poverty, unhappiness or a complete failure.

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Pronunciation

abject/ˈæbdʒekt/

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On a scale

A small setback: one plan needs a change
Abject failure: the whole plan collapses

Abject describes an extreme, hopeless condition, not a minor disappointment.

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Examples in context

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The documentary showed families living in abject poverty after the disaster.
Our first attempt at the experiment was an abject failure.

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The documentary showed families living in ________ poverty after the disaster.

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abject — Extremely bad and offering very little hope, especially when describing poverty, unhappiness or a complete failure.

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Extremely bad and offering very little hope, especially when describing poverty, unhappiness or a complete failure.

Compare: The documentary showed families living in abject poverty after the disaster.

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Word origin

From Latin abjectus, a form of a verb meaning throw away or reject.

Did you know?

Abject poverty, abject misery and abject failure are established combinations.

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