dignified
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dignified
Explanation
Dignified means self-respecting and worthy. If you want to have a dignified memorial service, skip the karaoke machine and instead softly play the favorite music of the person you're remembering. Something that has dignity is honorable and worthy, so something that is dignified acts in an honorable, worthy way, showing great self-respect and respect for others. If someone handles a terrible public embarrassment gracefully and without breaking down, we might compliment her dignified manner. You might be too dignified to engage in screaming at the wrestling match, or too dignified to beg for a job even in hard times.
Vocabulary lists containing dignified
An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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"The Diary of Anne Frank," Vocabulary from the drama
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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.
"By breaking records through healthy competition on Everest, will help make climbing safer, more dignified, and better managed."
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
As the CEO of a healthcare company, I’m usually a dignified guy.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
The lone umpire in Philadelphia that day was Billy McLean, a former boxer who Mr. Thorn has written “had no trouble standing up to players in a dignified fashion.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
She added the family had maintained a dignified silence for almost nine years, but the frustration of seeing him driving around their local community had led them to speak out now.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
“Ignore it,” Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn’t hear them.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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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.