abject
UK[ˈæbdʒekt]US[ˈæbˌdʒekt]
adj
Extremely unpleasant and degrading, causing hopelessness and misery.
adj
Completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.
Morpheme Breakdown
ab
ject
ab
away
ject
throw
Etymology
The word 'abject' originates from the Latin 'abiectus', the past participle of 'abicere', meaning "to throw away." This verb is a compound of 'ab-' (away) and 'iacere' (to throw). The literal sense of being cast down or thrown away evolved metaphorically to describe a state of utter degradation, misery, or servility. Thus, the modern meaning retains the core idea of being cast down, either in circumstance or in spirit, to the lowest possible condition.
Analysis
Structure: ab (away) + ject (throw)
'ab' is a Latin prefix meaning "away, from, off." 'ject' is from the Latin root 'iacere' (to throw), appearing in English as 'ject'.
Examples
They were living in abject poverty, without access to clean water or adequate shelter.
His abject apology was an attempt to avoid further punishment.
The defeat left the team in an abject state of despair.