1. to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem; to humiliate or degrade
Usage: formal

Examples

• The corrupt official was forced to abase himself before the court.
• She refused to abase herself by begging for forgiveness.
• The dictator sought to abase his political opponents through public humiliation.
• He would not abase his principles for personal gain.
• The scandal served to abase the once-respected institution.
• They tried to abase her reputation with false accusations.