deign
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to condescend to give or grant.
He deigned no reply.
-
Obsolete. to condescend to accept.
verb
-
(intr) to think it fit or worthy of oneself (to do something); condescend
he will not deign to speak to us
-
archaic (tr) to vouchsafe
he deigned no reply
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have deignedperfect
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has deignedperfect 3rd person singular
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are deigningprogressive
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have been deigningperfect progressive
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am deigningprogressive 1st person singular
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has been deigningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is deigningprogressive 3rd person singular
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deignssingular 3rd person
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deigningparticiple
Past
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had deignedperfect
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was deigningprogressive singular
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had been deigningperfect progressive
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were deigningprogressive plural
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deignedsimple
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deignedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of deign
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English deinen, de(i)gnen, from Old French de(i)gnier, from Latin dignārī, dignāre “to judge worthy,” equivalent to dign(us) “worthy” + -ārī infinitive suffix
Explanation
Deign means to reluctantly agree to do something you consider beneath you. When threatened with the loss of her fortune, an heiress might deign to get a job, but she might look down her nose at the people she'd have to work with. Deign has the same origins as dignity. Both descend from the Latin word, dignare, meaning "to deem worthy." If you deign to do something, you don't feel it's worthy of your lofty stature, but you do it anyway — it's like you're doing someone a really big favor. Instead of admitting his wrongdoing, the politician who is accused of taking bribes might indignantly declare, "I won't deign to dignify your ridiculous accusations with a response!"
Vocabulary lists containing deign
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Still, when she does deign to speak, there’s a dynamite scene where she dresses down Julian critically and psychologically.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Brown and black bears focus on the oily brains and nutritious roe of salmon when the fish are abundant and deign to chow down on whole fish only in years when salmon aren’t plentiful.
From Scientific American • Apr. 11, 2023
And when she does deign to talk policy, she phones it in.
From Slate • Feb. 28, 2023
She doesn't deign to dance at those clubs - she says those spots are more about being seen.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2023
Hermione did not deign to respond, but approached Harry.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
