- Today's Word
Abject
AB-jekt
Definition
- (adjective) Extremely bad, degrading, or wretched; experienced or present to the maximum degree.
Example
They lived in abject poverty, with little food or shelter to get through the winter.
Fun Fact
“Abject” comes from the Latin abjicere, meaning “to throw away.” Originally referring to someone cast down or rejected, the term evolved to describe utter hopelessness or misery. It’s commonly used to emphasize emotional extremes—abject fear, abject failure, abject humiliation—highlighting situations where someone feels completely defeated or exposed.
(noun/adjective) Extremely light, thin, and delicate material; something so fine and insubstantial it is almost transparent.
The morning light caught the gossamer threads of a spider’s web stretched between the fence posts.