abase

Verb

Synonyms: humiliate mortify chagrin humble

WordNet 3.0

Verb (1)

cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of“He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss”Synonyms: humiliate mortify chagrin humble

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Abase \A*base"\ ([.a]*b[=a]s"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abased ([.a]*b[=a]st"); p. pr. & vb. n. Abasing.] [F. abaisser, LL. abassare, abbassare; ad + bassare, fr. bassus low. See Base, a.] [1913 Webster]

1.To lower or depress; to throw or cast down; as, to abase the eye. [Archaic] --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Saying so, he abased his lance.— Shelton.[1913 Webster]

2.To cast down or reduce low or lower, as in rank, office, condition in life, or estimation of worthiness; to depress; to humble; to degrade. [1913 Webster]

Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased.— Luke xiv. ll.[1913 Webster]

Syn: To Abase, Debase, Degrade. These words agree in the idea of bringing down from a higher to a lower state. Abase has reference to a bringing down in condition or feelings; as, to abase the proud, to abase one's self before God. Debase has reference to the bringing down of a thing in purity, or making it base. It is, therefore, always used in a bad sense, as, to debase the coin of the kingdom, to debase the mind by vicious indulgence, to debase one's style by coarse or vulgar expressions. Degrade has reference to a bringing down from some higher grade or from some standard. Thus, a priest is degraded from the clerical office. When used in a moral sense, it denotes a bringing down in character and just estimation; as, degraded by intemperance, a degrading employment, etc. "Art is degraded when it is regarded only as a trade." [1913 Webster]