baseness

1 8.1

Low moral quality that shows shameful behavior

noun
/ˈbeɪsnəs/

Formal

: bajeza

From the perspective of official ideology, the concepts and vocabulary of the Carajicomedia are the epitome of vulgarity and baseness.
nobility or baseness

Examples

We have to struggle against disinterest in the face of others' suffering, against greed and the baseness that corrodes heart and mind.

Fiction book (1991)
"A nation cannot survive treason from within... the traitor... the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men.

Blog text (31)
Micawber: This scoundrel employed me in the belief that I shared the baseness of his nature.

Fiction book (2000)
Aristotle claimed that characters should possess only one of the two traits: nobility or baseness.

Academic text (2001)
Since Cleopatra died, I have Liv'd in such dishonour, that the gods detest my baseness.

Antony and Cleopatra (1972)
In a profession that tutored its practitioners in the baseness of human nature, that revealed the corroded metal of civilization, Quoyle constructed a personal illusion of orderly progress.

Fiction book (2002)
He was ashamed of the baseness he had shown when he betrayed his friend.
The novel explores the baseness of human nature through its complex characters.
Despite his wealth, his actions revealed a baseness that shocked everyone around him.

Synonyms

wickedness

vsbaseness

27 5.2

A state of being morally wrong or evil

describes low moral quality rather than strong evil acts

evilness

vsbaseness

7 6.5

A quality of doing very bad things and wanting to harm people

focuses on lacking honour and higher values not just wrongdoing

sleaziness

vsbaseness

Literature

1 8.1

Being dishonest and unfair in a way that harms others

is about low character rather than active evil

sordidness

vsbaseness

1 8.8

A state of being dirty and morally bad

points to low principles and shameful conduct rather than physical dirt

despicability

vsbaseness

1 8.9

A very bad moral quality that makes people feel disgust or anger

is about being low in honor and lacking higher values

contemptibility

vsbaseness

Offensive

1 9.8

Being so bad that people feel strong dislike and disrespect

focuses on low moral character rather than public judgment

despicableness

vsbaseness

1 8.2

Being so bad or shameful that people strongly dislike it

emphasizes inner lack of honor rather than outward contempt

Antonyms

honor

498 2.2

Respect given to a person for good moral behavior

nobility

Formal

19 5.0

Being morally good and acting with kindness and honor

How Dishonorable

moral bankruptcy

Offensive

2 7.1

vileness

2 8.0

depravity

Formal

24 8.8

baseness

Formal

1 8.1

meanness

15 5.4

Surface Forms

baseness singular

basenesses plural

Morphology

baseness = base (transparent) = base + ness

Formed by the adjective 'base' plus the nominalizing suffix '-ness', directly indicating the quality or state of being base.

Etymology

The word baseness comes from base meaning 'low' and the ending -ness that turns a word into a quality. Base once meant 'low'—think of a basement, the lower part of a house—so baseness is the quality of being low in morals or dishonorable.