abase oneself

phrasal-verb
UK: /əˌbeɪs wʌnˈself/
US: /əˌbeɪs wʌnˈself/

  1. To behave in a way that makes you seem lower or less important than other people.

    1. He had to abase oneself before his boss to keep his job. [ ] [ ]
    2. She refused to abase oneself by begging for forgiveness when she had done nothing wrong. [ ] [ ]

  2. To humble or degrade oneself; to behave in a way that belittles one's own dignity and self-respect.

    1. I won't abase oneself just to get their approval. [ ] [ ]
    2. He felt he had to abase oneself before the king to secure his family's safety and future. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

humble oneself lower oneself stoop submit

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "abase oneself" in English means: To behave in a way that makes you seem lower or less important than other people., To humble or degrade oneself; to behave in a way that belittles one's own dignity and self-respect..

The phonetic transcription of "abase oneself" is /əˌbeɪs wʌnˈself/ in British English and /əˌbeɪs wʌnˈself/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "abase oneself": humble oneself, lower oneself, stoop, submit.

Example usage of "abase oneself": "He had to abase oneself before his boss to keep his job.". More examples on the page.