different between abject vs pitiful
abject
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)
- Sunk to or existing in a low condition, state, or position. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
- 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).]
- Showing utter hopelessness, helplessness; showing resignation; wretched. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
- (obsolete) Rejected; cast aside. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the early 17th 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)
- 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)
- (transitive, obsolete) To cast off or out; to reject. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17th century.]
- (transitive, obsolete) To cast down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17th 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?
- a. 1631, John Donne, a sermon
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)
- 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)
- (literary) Worthy of utmost contempt or disgust; vile; despicable.
- (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)
- abject
Declension
abject From the web:
- abject meaning
- what abject poverty
- what's abject misery
- abject what does it mean
- abject what is the definition
- what does abject poverty mean
- what does abject failure mean
- what is abjection according to kristeva
pitiful
English
Alternative forms
- pitifull (archaic)
Etymology
From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful, equivalent to pity +? -ful.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?p?t.?.fl?/
Adjective
pitiful (comparative pitifuller, superlative pitifullest)
- (now rare) Feeling pity; merciful.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:
- Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:
- So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:lamentable
- Of an amount or number: very small.
Related terms
- pitiable
- pity
Translations
Adverb
pitiful (comparative more pitiful, superlative most pitiful)
- (colloquial, dialect) In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.
Translations
pitiful From the web:
- what pitiful means
- pitiful meaning
- what pitiful meaning in arabic
- what pitiful means in spanish
- what pitiful means in farsi
- what pitiful sight
- pitiful what does it means
- pitiful what you are
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