Memory connection
Picture “uh + base”
Picture a decorated guard being sent to the base of the building and handed a mop. The humiliating assignment lowers his status: ‘Uh, base duty now.’
The sound cue helps you reach the scene; the action in the scene carries you from the scene to the definition.
Use it accurately
Meaning in context
The supervisor tried to abase him by assigning the most demeaning work.
The ritual was designed to abase prisoners before the assembled court.
Abase usually describes an intentional loss of dignity. It is stronger than embarrass and often appears as abase oneself.
Common patterns
- abase oneself
- attempt to abase
- publicly abased
Quick check
Can you retrieve the meaning?
Which action would most clearly abase someone?
Choose an answer, then explain it in your own words.