abaissant

French

Etymology

Derived from the present participle of abaisser (“to lower, morally degrade”) + -ant

Pronunciation

• (Europe) IPA^(key): /a.bɛ.sɑ̃/ ~ /a.be.sɑ̃/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /abɛːsɑ̃/, /abɛːsã/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: abaissants

Adjective

abaissant (feminine abaissante, masculine plural abaissants, feminine plural abaissantes)

1. (dated) Rendering morally inferior; degrading, demeaning
   • 1860, Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly, Les Oeuvres et les Hommes, Preface,

     L’auteur […] n’a jamais eu à subir comme les orateurs de métier la tyrannie toujours abaissante d’un auditoire, qu’ils croient mener et qui les domine — Unlike career speakers, the author never had to endure the degrading tyranny of an audience they believe they are leading, and yet actually controls them.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. lowering

Synonyms

• rabaissant (current)

Participle

abaissant

1. present participle of abaisser

Further reading

• “abaissant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.