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.
In affidavits submitted to the court, supporters noted that Gil’s was the very last place that was safe and decent and dignified for the city’s worst off.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Herzog depicts the bushmen who aid Boyes as dignified, diligent and intelligent without romanticizing them while capturing the rugged beauty of the African landscape.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
The latest example came Saturday at one of the most solemn moments a commander-in-chief can face: a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base.
From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026
She says bringing back a holiday hunger payments would provide "practical, dignified support for families and ensure that vulnerable children are not placed at a further disadvantage simply because the school term has ended".
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
A different-tinted ink identified each year: 1956 was green and 1957 a ribbon of red, replaced the following year by bright lavender, and now, in 1959, she had decided upon a dignified blue.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
