浅ましい
あさましい · asamashii · JLPT N1 · noun
despicable
Etymology: 浅 = shallow; a shallow character is mean, so shameful or despicable
The 浅 (asa) here means shallow, as in 浅瀬 (shallow water). Shallowness of character, a lack of depth in conduct, came to mean mean or contemptible behavior.
浅 — water radical 氵 + 戔 (small/thin)
浅 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning (relating to water), while 戔 (originally depicting small or slight things) supplies the sound and reinforces the sense of 'little'. Together they mean 'shallow water', later extended to 'shallow' or 'superficial' in general.