abash Meaning & Definition
What Does Abash Mean?
As a verb, abash means 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. It can also mean To lose self-possession; to become ashamed.
Abash: Key Facts
| Part of speech | verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈbæʃ/ |
| Synonyms | embarrass |
| Verb forms | abashes, abashing, abashed |
Abash Definition (Verb)
- 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.
- To lose self-possession; to become ashamed.
Synonyms of Abash
Abash synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)
Words That Rhyme With Abash
Origin of Abash
Attested from 1303, as Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“lose one's composure, be upset”), from the later 14th-century also transitive "to make ashamed, to perplex or embarrass"; from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“lose one's composure, be startled, be stunned”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Medieval Latin *exbadō, from ex- (“out of”) + bado (“to gape, yawn”), an onomatopoeic word imitating a yawn, see also French badaud (“rubbernecker”).[1][2][3][4]
Abash: Your Questions Answered
What part of speech is abash?
Abash is a verb.
What is another word for abash?
Words with a similar meaning to abash include embarrass. See the full list of abash synonyms and antonyms.
What is the past tense of abash?
The past tense of abash is abashed. The present participle is abashing.