What does abasing mean?
Abase is a formal verb meaning to lower someone in rank, dignity, or self-esteem — in effect, to humiliate them. Its present participle, abasing, describes that act in progress: a critic abasing an opponent, a regime abasing its enemies, or a person abasing themselves before a superior. The verb carries strong connotations of deliberate degradation, which is why it tends to appear in literary, historical, or rhetorical contexts rather than casual conversation. It often takes a reflexive form — 'he abased himself before the king' — where it connotes voluntary humility rather than imposed shame. Abase entered English in the sixteenth century from Old French abaissier, ultimately from Late Latin ad bassiare, 'to bring low', sharing a root with the word base. Knowing abasing gives writers a precise, elevated alternative to blunter words like humiliating.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'abase')Present participle of 'abase': behaving in a way that belittles or degrades someone, or humbling or lowering oneself in rank, dignity, or self-respect.
- To behave in a way that humiliates or degrades someone else.
- (Reflexive) To lower or humble oneself, especially in dignity, status, or pride.
"The dictator's propaganda machine went on abasing anyone who dared to question him."
"The tabloid took pleasure in abasing public figures who had once been untouchable."
"He stood abasing himself before the council, begging for a second chance."
Though it looks like a rare word, 'abasing' hides a humble cousin: it comes from the same Latin root as the word 'base', so to abase someone is literally to bring them low.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abasing
Abase derives from Old French abaissier ('to lower'), formed from Vulgar/Late Latin ad bassiare, based on bassus ('low'), the same root that gives us the word base. It entered English in the sixteenth century, initially carrying senses of lowering physically or reducing in amount before settling into its dominant figurative sense of humbling or degrading. Cognates appear across Romance languages, such as French abaisser and Spanish abajar.
Related word forms
How abasing is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; more common in written English than everyday speech. Often appears in reflexive constructions ('abasing himself') when describing voluntary humility, and in passive or transitive use when describing imposed humiliation.
Easily confused with abasing
'Abating' means lessening or subsiding (e.g. a storm abating), whereas 'abasing' means humiliating or degrading someone.