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
-
has deignedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have deignedperfect
-
has been deigningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is deigningprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are deigningprogressive
-
deignssingular 3rd person
-
deigningparticiple
-
am deigningprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been deigningperfect progressive
Past
-
had deignedperfect
-
had been deigningperfect progressive
-
were deigningprogressive plural
-
deignedsimple
-
was deigningprogressive singular
-
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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
To Kill a Mockingbird
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Pride and Prejudice
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
She is completely in a pantheon that I could only deign to touch.
From Salon • Oct. 17, 2025
And that brings down prices for every airline passenger—whether you deign to fly Spirit or not.
From Slate • Oct. 15, 2024
No, they’re hardworking people, others maintained, who’ve come for jobs no American would deign to do.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024
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
She didn’t stop or deign to look at me until we were by our bunks, and she had one fist curled in her bedsheets, ready to pull herself up to the top bed.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
