different between comfortless vs abject

English

Etymology

comfort +? -less

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?m.f?t.l?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?m.f?t.l?s/

Adjective

comfortless (comparative more comfortless, superlative most comfortless)

1. (of a person) Deprived of comfort; uncomforted.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, John 14:18,^[1]

     I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

   • c. 1612, William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, Henry VIII, Act II, Scene 3,^[2]

     The queen is comfortless, and we forgetful

     In our long absence: pray, do not deliver

     What here you've heard to her.

   • 1862, Christina Rossetti, “Mirage” in Goblin Market and other Poems,^[3]

     The hope I dreamed of was a dream,

     Was but a dream; and now I wake,

     Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old,

     For a dream's sake.

2. (of a thing) Offering no comfort; uncomforting.
   • c. 1693, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, Act III, Scene 1,^[4]

     Alas, poor heart, that kiss is comfortless

     As frozen water to a starved snake.

   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Chapter V,^[5]

     I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although drenched by the rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky.

   • 1941, Emily Carr, Klee Wyck, Chapter 4,^[6]

     In comfortless, damp blankets we got through the night.

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