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abash

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

abash: To cause someone to feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed, often in poetry to depict a moment of social exposure, vulnerability, or the shattering of composure.

Detailed Definition
In older or literary English, to abash means to humble or put to shame, often by surprise or force. Dickinson uses it in a slightly elevated, formal way to describe what a storm would have to do to silence Hope.
Example
Example in poetry:
“That could abash the little Bird” means shame, disconcert, or intimidate; “No jeering crowd could abash her song” shows social pressure; Dickinson’s bird remains un-abashed by storm, emphasizing courage; “The mountain did not abash the novice climber” uses the verb for awe that might silence someone
Additional Notes
The verb "abash" in the line "That could abash the little Bird" is a literary word many modern readers may not know immediately.; Found in the poem, Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson
Also Known As
embarrass disconcert humiliate shame
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