Sentence:  Lord Howard of Escrick accused Ayloffe of proposing to assassinate the Duke of York; but Lord Howard was an <WSD>abject</WSD> liar; 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Cast down in spirit or hope; degraded; servile; grovelling; despicable; lacking courage; offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit. (First attested from around (1350 to 1470).)<ref name=SOED/>