different between abject vs extreme

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æb.d???kt/, enPR: ?b?j?kt
• (attributive): (US) IPA^(key): /?æb.d???kt/, enPR: ?b?j?kt
• (postpositive): (US) IPA^(key): /æb?d???kt/, enPR: ?bj?kt?
• Rhymes: -?kt

Etymology 1

From Middle English abiect (“outcast, wretched”), from Latin abiectus, past participle of abici? (“to throw away, cast off, to reject”), from ab- (“away”) +? iaci? (“to throw”).

Adjective

abject (comparative abjecter or more abject, superlative abjectest or most abject)

1. Sunk to or existing in a low condition, state, or position. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
2. Cast down in spirit or hope; degraded; servile; grovelling; despicable; lacking courage; offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
3. Showing utter hopelessness, helplessness; showing resignation; wretched. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
4. (obsolete) Rejected; cast aside. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the early 17^th century.]

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "abject" is often applied: poverty, fear, terror, submission, misery, failure, state, condition, apology, humility, servitude, manner, coward.

Synonyms

• beggarly, contemptible, cringing, degraded, groveling, ignoble, mean, mean-spirited, slavish, vile, worthless

Related terms

Translations

Noun

abject (plural abjects)

1. A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a castaway; outcast. [from late 15h c.]

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English abjecten, derived from the adjective form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æb?d??kt/

Verb

abject (third-person singular simple present abjects, present participle abjecting, simple past and past participle abjected)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To cast off or out; to reject. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century.]
2. (transitive, obsolete) To cast down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century.]
   • a. 1631, John Donne, a sermon

     What phrases of abjecting themselves, in respect of the prince, can exceed David's humble expressing of himself to Saul?

Related terms

Translations

References

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French abject, from Latin abiectus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b?j?kt/
• Hyphenation: ab?ject
• Rhymes: -?kt

Adjective

abject (comparative abjecter, superlative abjectst)

1. reprehensible, despicable, abject

Inflection

Derived terms

• abjectheid

French

Etymology

From Latin abiectus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ab.??kt/

Adjective

abject (feminine singular abjecte, masculine plural abjects, feminine plural abjectes)

1. (literary) Worthy of utmost contempt or disgust; vile; despicable.
2. (literary, obsolete) Of the lowest social position.

Usage notes

• Abject lacks the idea of groveling, of moral degradation over time that is present in the English word.

Derived terms

• abjectement

Related terms

• abjection

Descendants

• Norwegian Bokmål: abjekt
• ? Romanian: abject

Further reading

• “abject” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Romanian

Etymology

From French abject, from Latin abiectus.

Adjective

abject m or n (feminine singular abject?, masculine plural abjec?i, feminine and neuter plural abjecte)

1. abject

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• extream, extreame (obsolete)
• xtreme (informal, nonstandard)

Etymology

Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extr?mus, the superlative of exter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?st?i?m/, /?k?st?i?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?st?im/

Adjective

extreme (comparative extremer or more extreme, superlative extremest or most extreme)

1. Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.

2. In the greatest or highest degree; intense.

3. Excessive, or far beyond the norm.

4. Drastic, or of great severity.

5. Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.

6. (archaic) Ultimate, final or last.

   the extreme hour of life

Synonyms

• (place): farthest, furthest, most distant, outermost, remotest
• (in greatest or highest degree): greatest, highest
• (excessive): excessive, too much
• (drastic): drastic, severe
• (sports): dangerous
• (ultimate): final, last, ultimate

Antonyms

• (place): closest, nearest
• (in greatest or highest degree): least
• (excessive): moderate, reasonable
• (drastic): moderate, reasonable

Derived terms

• extremeness

Translations

Noun

extreme (plural extremes)

1. The greatest or utmost point, degree or condition.
2. Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.
3. A drastic expedient.

4. (mathematics) Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1 and 6 in 1:2=3:6.

Translations

Adverb

extreme (comparative more extreme, superlative most extreme)

1. (archaic) Extremely.
   • 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:

     In the empty and extreme cold theatre.

Usage notes

• Formerly used to modify adjectives and sometimes adverbs, but rarely verbs.

Derived terms

• extremism
• extremist
• extremity
• extremely
• extreme ironing
• extreme unction

Related terms

• extremum

See also

• mean

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “extreme”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

extreme

1. Inflected form of extreem

German

Adjective

extreme

1. inflection of extrem:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Ido

Adverb

extreme

1. extremely

Latin

Noun

extr?me

1. vocative singular of extr?mus

References

• extreme in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• extreme in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700?^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Middle French

Adjective

extreme m or f (plural extremes)

1. extreme

Spanish

Verb

extreme

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of extremar.
2. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of extremar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of extremar.

Swedish

Adjective

extreme

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of extrem.