Existing in the most miserable, degraded, or hopeless state possible. Characterized by complete humiliation or defeat.
From Latin 'abjectus,' past participle of 'abicere' meaning 'to throw away,' from 'ab-' (away) + 'jacere' (to throw). The sense evolved from 'thrown away' to 'cast down' to 'completely degraded.'
The etymology reveals a brutal metaphor - someone in abject poverty or abject misery has been literally 'thrown away' by society. This 'throwing away' imagery appears in many languages when describing the most extreme forms of human degradation.
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