Abase

to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade.
Archaic. to lower; put or bring down:
He abased his head.
Historical Examples

Tarquinius, angry at his opposition, took measures to abase him and to bring his art into contempt.
Dio’s Rome, Volume 1 (of 6) Cassius Dio

He saw a way to hurt her, to abase her pride, and cut her to the very soul with shame.
St. Martin’s Summer Rafael Sabatini

His desire to abase himself, though it arose from a different motive, was as complete as hers.
Narcissus Evelyn Scott

Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.
Tao Teh King Lao-Tze

You abase them more than is needful, in the faint hope that others may say a word in their behalf—which won’t happen.
Shirley Charlotte Bront

Commander of the faithful, abase not yourself to the meanness of your slave.
Vathek William Beckford

He did not protest—he did not talk poetry, nor abase himself; he made no exaggerated promises, nor did he sue for her love.
Throckmorton Molly Elliot Seawell

You see, I abase myself, I abase myself of my own free will.
Short Stories Fiodor Dostoievski

Every image, every comparison would only abase this unspeakable type.
Catholic World, Vol. XI, April 1870-September 1870 Various

We have all so much reason to abase ourselves, and repent in dust and ashes!
Madonna Mary Mrs. Oliphant

verb (transitive)
to humble or belittle (oneself, etc)
to lower or reduce, as in rank or estimation
v.

late 14c., abaishen, from Old French abaissier “diminish, make lower in value or status” (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *ad bassiare “bring lower,” from Late Latin bassus “thick, fat, low;” from the same source as base (adj.) and altered 16c. in English by influence of it, which made it an exception to the rule that Old French verbs with stem -iss- enter English as -ish. Related: Abased; abasing.