Standard Lemma guide

baseness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈbeɪsnəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality or condition of being base.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depravity, perversion, turpitude, baseness, corruption, defilement, degeneracy, degradation, depravation, depravedness, impurity, iniquity, lewdity, malignity, misdoing, misguilt, obliquity, peccability, pollution, pravity, sin, sinfulness, vitiation, wickedness, wrongdoing

Antonyms: honor, morality

2

noun

Meaning 2

The quality of being unworthy to hold virtues or value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

unworthiness by virtue of lacking higher values

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sordidness, contemptibility, despicableness, despicability

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unworthiness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Late Latin bassus Old French basbor. Middle English bas English base Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English baseness From base + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: laaghartigheid — the state of being vile
  • German: Niedertracht — the state of being vile
  • Latvian: zemiskums — the state of being vile
  • Russian: ни́зость (nízostʹ) — the state of being vile
  • Ottoman Turkish: رذالت (rezâlet) — the state of being vile
  • Ukrainian: ни́зькість (nýzʹkistʹ) — the state of being vile