Abasements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The actions or instances of lowering someone’s dignity or self-esteem through humiliation or degradation
2. Acts of causing a person to feel belittled or degraded, often through insulting or demeaning behavior
3. The process of bringing someone down in rank or status, typically by means of public embarrassment or scorn

Etymology: "Abasements" is the plural of "abasement," a noun for acts that leave someone feeling small or humiliated. The surprising part is where the word started: in Middle French, "abaissement" could mean astonishment, a sense that has nearly vanished from English. The shift from being struck dumbfounded to being brought low makes sense once you see the root. The word descends from the verb "abaisser," meaning to lower or bring down, and the sense of being "cast down" in amazement sits close to the sense of being cast down in status. English took the word from Middle French in the Middle English period, and it arrived as a noun built from "abase," meaning to lower in rank, dignity, or position, plus the suffix "-ment," which turns a verb into a noun for an action or its result. Because the parts are so transparent, the word needed little reshaping on its way into English. Its meaning settled on the humbling itself, the act or the state of being lowered.

Synonyms: humiliations, degradations, disgraces, shames, demeanors

Antonyms: elevations, upliftings, honors, dignities, respects