Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

deign

 
Dictionary: deign
(dān) pronunciation

v., deigned, deign·ing, deigns.

v.intr.
To think it appropriate to one's dignity; condescend: wouldn't deign to greet the servant who opened the door. See synonyms at stoop1.

v.tr.
To condescend to give or grant; vouchsafe. "Nor would we deign him burial of his men" (Shakespeare).

[Middle English deinen, from Old French deignier, to regard as worthy, from Latin dignārī, from dignus, worthy.]


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wordsmith Words: deign
Top

(dayn)
verb tr. and intr.
To do something reluctantly as if it's beneath one's dignity; to condescend.

Etymology
From Middle English deinen, from Old French deignier (to deem worthy), from Latin dignare, a form of dignari, from dignus (worthy). Ultimately from Indo-European root dek- (to take or accept). Other words from the same root are decent, doctor, paradox, decorate, dignity, disdain, indignant, and disciple

Usage
"But he deigned to unleash several less than flattering comments ..." — Andy Edelstein; Memorable Moments; Newsday (New York); May 23, 2004.

"After a quarter of an hour, he even deigns to remove his sunglasses (always a good idea when inside a windowless room)." — Usher: King of Bling; Independent (London, UK); May 29, 2004.


Thesaurus: deign
Top

verb

    To descend to a level considered inappropriate to one's dignity: condescend, stoop, vouchsafe. See over/under, rise/fall.

Antonyms: deign
Top

v

Definition: lower oneself
Antonyms: be proud, hold head high


Word Tutor: deign
Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To consider an act to be in keeping with one's dignity; condescend.

pronunciation Did the magistrate deign to discuss the issue with the citizen?

Translations: Deign
Top

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - nedværdige sig
v. tr. - nedværdige sig til, værdige, give allernådigst

Nederlands (Dutch)
zich verwaardigen

Français (French)
v. intr. - daigner faire, condescendre à
v. tr. - daigner faire, condescendre à

Deutsch (German)
v. - geruhen, sich herablassen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - ευδοκώ, στέργω, καταδέχομαι, ευαρεστούμαι

Italiano (Italian)
degnarsi di

Português (Portuguese)
v. - dignar-se a

Русский (Russian)
соизволить, снизойти

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - dignarse
v. tr. - conceder, condescender para aceptar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - värdigas, behaga

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
屈尊, 赐予

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 屈尊
v. tr. - 賜予

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 황송하게도 ~하다
v. tr. - ~을 하사하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 親切に…する, 快く与える

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يتنازل, يتكرم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮הואיל בטובו, מחל על כבודו, השפיל את עצמו‬
v. tr. - ‮הואיל בטובו או מחל על כבודו כדי לענות‬


 
 
Learn More
vouchsafe
condign
dignify

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

 

Mentioned in