abash
English
Alternative forms
- abasse
Etymology
First attested in 1303. From Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“to gape with surprise”) etc., from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“to astonish, alter”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Latin ex- (“out of”) + baer (“to gape”), from batāre (“to yawn, gape”).[1][2][3]
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈbæʃ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /əˈbæʃ/
Audio (US) (file)
- Rhymes: -æʃ
Verb
abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)
- (transitive) To make ashamed; to embarrass; to destroy the self-possession of, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to disconcert; to discomfit. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).][1]
- 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14
- He was a man whom no check could abash
- 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 8, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 129:
- The stare seemed to abash Poirot.
- 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14
- (intransitive, obsolete) To lose self-possession; to become ashamed. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 16th century.][1]
Usage notes
- Of abash, confuse, confound: Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.
- We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors.
- We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers.
- We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt.
- Satan stood Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. – John Milton
Synonyms
- The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. Use the templates
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- bewilder
- confuse
- confound
- daunt
- discompose
- disconcert
- discountenance
- dishearten
- embarrass
- humble
- humiliate
- mortify
- shame
- snub
- See also Thesaurus:abash
Antonyms
- abet
- animate
- buoy
- cheer
- countenance
- embolden
- encourage
- incite
- inspirit
- rally
- reassure
- uphold
Derived terms
Derived terms
- abashed
- abashedly
- abashedness
- abashless
- abashment
Translations
to make ashamed, to embarrass
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obsolete: to lose self-possession; to become ashamed
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References
- “abash” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 2.
- Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 2
- “abash” in Christine A. Lindberg, editor, The Oxford College Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Spark Publishing, 2002, →ISBN, page 2.
Anagrams
- Basha, Sabah, basha, sabha