Abase Oneself

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /əˈbeɪs wʌnˈsɛlf/

Definitions of abase oneself

verb to behave in a way that shows you are not proud and that you are willing to do what someone else tells you to do

Example Sentences

A1 I would never abase myself to get what I want.

A2 She refused to abase herself in front of her boss.

B1 The politician was willing to abase himself in order to gain more votes.

B2 He felt he had to abase himself in order to be accepted into the exclusive club.

C1 The CEO refused to abase himself in negotiations with the rival company.

C2 The actor was asked to abase himself for the role, but he refused to compromise his integrity.

Examples of abase oneself in a Sentence

formal It is considered inappropriate to abase oneself in front of others.

informal I don't understand why he always feels the need to abase himself in front of his boss.

slang She was so desperate for the job that she was willing to abase herself during the interview.

figurative In order to win the argument, he was willing to abase himself by admitting he was wrong.

Grammatical Forms of abase oneself

past tense

abased

plural

abase themselves

comparative

more abased

superlative

most abased

present tense

abases oneself

future tense

will abase oneself

perfect tense

has abased oneself

continuous tense

is abasing oneself

singular

abases oneself

positive degree

abase oneself

infinitive

to abase oneself

gerund

abasing oneself

participle

abased oneself

Origin and Evolution of abase oneself

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'abase oneself' originated from the Middle English word 'abaisen' which came from the Old French word 'abaisser' meaning 'to lower or depress'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'abase oneself' has evolved to signify the act of humbling oneself or lowering one's own status or dignity.