dignified
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- dignifiedly adverb
- dignifiedness noun
- quasi-dignified adjective
- undignified adjective
- undignifiedly adverb
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.
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
Others require “humane and dignified treatment” while outlawing services performed in an “incompetent” or “cruel manner.”
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
There’s the lab-coated museum curator who treats statues in underground storage as dignified friends worth revisiting.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
US Vice President JD Vance on Monday attended the dignified transfer ceremony for the seventh soldier killed in the Middle East war.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
She had heard such unpleasant things about Anthony that she was quite surprised when she “met a dignified, quaker looking lady.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
