Main Translations

English: abase

Thai: ทำให้อับอาย (Primary Translation)

Phonetic: tam hai ab aai

Detailed Explanation: The word "abase" is a transitive verb that means to lower someone in status, dignity, or self-respect, often through humiliation or degradation. It carries strong emotional connotations of shame and subordination, typically used in formal or literary contexts. Usage scenarios include professional settings where power imbalances occur, such as a boss criticizing an employee publicly, or personal interactions involving emotional manipulation. Semantic nuances highlight its negative tone, emphasizing the act's intentionality and the resulting psychological impact, which can lead to feelings of inferiority or loss of face.

Thai: ลดเกียรติ (Secondary Translation)

Phonetic: lod geeeat

Detailed Explanation: This translation focuses on diminishing someone's honor or prestige, similar to "abase" but with a cultural emphasis on social hierarchy. In Thai contexts, it often appears in scenarios involving respect and face-saving, such as in family disputes or public shaming. Emotional connotations include embarrassment and loss of social standing, with semantic nuances tied to Thai cultural values of "kreng jai" (consideration for others), where abasing someone might be seen as particularly harsh and avoidable.

Overview of Usage Scenarios

The word "abase" is primarily used in formal, literary, or professional contexts to describe acts of humiliation or degradation. It often appears in situations involving power dynamics, such as workplace conflicts, social interactions, or historical narratives. Common scenarios include business environments for disciplinary actions, leisure settings for interpersonal conflicts, and formal occasions for rhetorical emphasis. Its usage is less common in everyday casual speech due to its formal tone, making it ideal for written English or discussions on ethics and psychology. In Thai translations, it aligns with cultural sensitivities around dignity and respect.

Example Sentences

Example Sentences in Different Scenarios

Business Scenario

English: The CEO abased the junior executive during the meeting by publicly questioning his decisions.

Thai: ซีอีโอทำให้ผู้บริหารระดับจูเนียร์อับอายระหว่างการประชุมโดยการตั้งคำถามต่อสาธารณะเกี่ยวกับการตัดสินใจของเขา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "The CEO" (subject, noun phrase) + "abased" (verb, past tense of abase) + "the junior executive" (direct object, noun phrase) + "during the meeting" (prepositional phrase indicating time) + "by publicly questioning his decisions" (adverbial phrase explaining the method).

Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a subject-verb-object structure, enhanced by subordinate clauses. The verb "abased" functions transitively, requiring a direct object, and the phrase highlights power dynamics, making it suitable for professional SEO contexts like "abase in business."

Leisure Scenario

English: In a heated argument at the party, he abased his friend by mocking his taste in music.

Thai: ในการโต้แย้งอย่างรุนแรงที่งานปาร์ตี้ เขาทำให้เพื่อนของเขาอับอายโดยการล้อเลียนรสนิยมทางดนตรีของเขา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "In a heated argument at the party" (adverbial phrase, setting the scene) + "he" (subject, pronoun) + "abased" (verb) + "his friend" (direct object) + "by mocking his taste in music" (prepositional phrase with gerund).

Structural Analysis: This sentence uses a compound structure to build tension, with "abased" as the core action. It demonstrates how the word can apply to informal social settings, optimizing for searches like "abase examples in daily life."

Formal Occasion

English: The judge's stern words abased the defendant, reminding him of the consequences of his actions.

Thai: คำพูดที่เข้มงวดของผู้พิพากษาลดเกียรติจำเลย ทำให้เขานึกถึงผลที่ตามมาของการกระทำของเขา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "The judge's stern words" (subject, noun phrase) + "abased" (verb) + "the defendant" (direct object) + "reminding him of the consequences" (participial phrase).

Structural Analysis: A declarative structure with embedded clauses, emphasizing formality. This usage aligns with legal or ethical discussions, aiding SEO for "formal use of abase."

Informal Occasion

English: She abased herself in front of her siblings by admitting her mistake during family dinner.

Thai: เธอทำให้ตัวเองอับอายต่อหน้าพี่น้องโดยการสารภาพความผิดพลาดของเธอระหว่างมื้ออาหารครอบครัว.

Grammatical Breakdown: "She" (subject) + "abased herself" (reflexive verb phrase) + "in front of her siblings" (prepositional phrase) + "by admitting her mistake" (gerund phrase).

Structural Analysis: This reflexive form shows self-directed action, common in personal narratives. It's structured for relatability, supporting SEO queries like "abase in everyday conversations."

Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types

Declarative Sentence

English: The teacher abased the student for cheating on the exam.

Thai: ครูทำให้นักเรียนอับอายเพราะโกงข้อสอบ.

Grammatical Breakdown: "The teacher" (subject) + "abased" (verb) + "the student" (object) + "for cheating on the exam" (reason clause).

Structural Analysis: Straightforward subject-verb-object format, ideal for stating facts in educational contexts.

Interrogative Sentence

English: Did the leader abase his team members to maintain control?

Thai: ผู้นำทำให้สมาชิกทีมอับอายเพื่อรักษาความควบคุมหรือไม่?

Grammatical Breakdown: "Did" (auxiliary verb for question form) + "the leader" (subject) + "abase" (verb) + "his team members" (object) + "to maintain control" (infinitive phrase).

Structural Analysis: Inverted structure for questions, used to probe motives, enhancing engagement in discussions.

Imperative Sentence

English: Do not abase others just to feel superior.

Thai: อย่าทำให้คนอื่นอับอายเพียงเพื่อให้ตัวเองรู้สึกเหนือกว่า.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Do not" (imperative form) + "abase" (verb) + "others" (object) + "just to feel superior" (purpose clause).

Structural Analysis: Command form with negative imperative, promoting ethical advice in motivational content.

Exclamatory Sentence

English: How he abased his rival in that debate!

Thai: เขาทำให้คู่แข่งอับอายในการโต้วาทีนั้นอย่างไร!

Grammatical Breakdown: "How" (exclamation starter) + "he" (subject) + "abased" (verb) + "his rival" (object) + "in that debate" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Emphasizes emotion through exclamation, suitable for dramatic narratives.

Example Sentences of Different Difficulties

Simple Sentence

English: He abased her with his words.

Thai: เขาทำให้เธออับอายด้วยคำพูดของเขา.

Grammatical Breakdown: "He" (subject) + "abased" (verb) + "her" (object) + "with his words" (prepositional phrase).

Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-object structure, easy for beginners.

Intermediate Sentence

English: After the argument, she realized that abasing others only deepened her own isolation.

Thai: หลังจากโต้แย้ง เธอตระหนักว่าการทำให้คนอื่นอับอายจะทำให้ตัวเองโดดเดี่ยวมากขึ้นเท่านั้น.

Grammatical Breakdown: "After the argument" (subordinate clause) + "she realized" (main clause) + "that abasing others" (object clause) + "only deepened her own isolation" (verb phrase).

Structural Analysis: Combines clauses for cause-effect, building complexity for intermediate learners.

Complex Sentence

English: Although he tried to abase his opponent through clever tactics, the audience ultimately saw through his insincerity and turned against him.

Thai: แม้ว่าเขาจะพยายามทำให้คู่ต่อสู้อับอายด้วยกลยุทธ์ที่ฉลาด แต่ผู้ชมก็มองทะลุความไม่จริงใจของเขาและหันมาปฏิเสธเขาในที่สุด.

Grammatical Breakdown: "Although he tried to abase his opponent" (subordinate clause) + "through clever tactics" (prepositional phrase) + "the audience ultimately saw through his insincerity" (main clause) + "and turned against him" (coordinating clause).

Structural Analysis: Multi-clause structure with concessions, ideal for advanced contexts like literary analysis.

Related Phrases and Expressions

Synonyms/Near Synonyms:

• Humiliate – Used to describe causing someone embarrassment, often in public; similar to abase but more emotional (e.g., "He humiliated her in front of friends").
• Degrade – Implies reducing someone's worth or status, with a focus on moral or social decline (e.g., "The comments degraded her confidence").

Antonyms:

• Elevate – Means to raise someone's status or dignity, contrasting abase's negative impact (e.g., "The award elevated her career").
• Honor – Refers to showing respect or admiration, directly opposing humiliation (e.g., "They honored his contributions publicly").

Common Collocations:

• Abase oneself – Involves self-humiliation for humility or apology; common in reflective writing (e.g., "He abased himself to seek forgiveness").
• Abase someone publicly – Emphasizes public shaming, often in professional or social settings (e.g., "Managers should avoid abasing employees publicly").

Cultural Background and Usage Habits

Cultural Background:

• Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, "abase" reflects individualistic values where personal dignity is paramount, often appearing in literature like Shakespeare's works to critique power abuses. In Thai culture, it aligns with concepts of "saving face" (kee jai), where public abasement is taboo and can lead to social ostracism, emphasizing harmony over confrontation.

Usage Habits:

• Habit 1: "Abase" is infrequently used in casual Thai conversations due to its formal nature, appearing more in written media, educational contexts, or among educated groups. It's popular in self-help or psychological discussions, with higher frequency in urban areas like Bangkok, where English influences blend with Thai etiquette.

Grammar Explanation

Grammatical Function: "Abase" functions as a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (e.g., "abase someone"). It can also be used reflexively as "abase oneself," acting as the object of its own action.

Tense and Voice: In active voice, it changes as follows: present (abase), past (abased), future (will abase), and perfect (has abased). In passive voice, it becomes "be abased" (e.g., "He was abased by the criticism"), shifting focus to the recipient and maintaining its formal tone.

References

Etymology and History:

The word "abase" originates from the Old French "abaissier," meaning "to lower," which evolved from the Latin "ad" (to) and "bassus" (low). It entered English in the 14th century, initially in religious and literary contexts to denote humility or subjugation. Over time, its usage shifted to emphasize humiliation, as seen in historical texts like Chaucer's works, making it a staple in discussions of social hierarchy and SEO topics like "history of abase."

Literary References:

• From William Shakespeare's "King Lear" (Act 1, Scene 2): "I will not abase my honor for thy sake." This quote illustrates abasement in familial power struggles, highlighting themes of dignity and betrayal.
• From George Orwell's "1984": "The Party sought to abase the individual spirit." This reference underscores modern interpretations in dystopian literature, linking to psychological control and contemporary SEO searches like "abase in literature."