deign

verb

deigned; deigning; deigns

intransitive verb

: to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense of the affront to one's superiority that is involved : stoop
would not even deign to talk to him
One iconoclastic architect, for example, doesn't deign to speak of bathrooms.Carol Vogel

transitive verb

: to condescend to give or offer
never so much as deigning a glanceGeorge Meredith

Examples of deign in a Sentence

I wouldn't deign to answer that absurd accusation.
Recent Examples on the Web Joe Biden and Donald Trump — who plainly detest each other — wouldn’t deign to shake hands. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024 Then, when the Sun finally deigns to shine on your sign, your own ruler Venus leaves you for Scorpio. Jennifer Culp, Them, 13 Sep. 2024 Even though Democratic lawmakers had been instrumental in its passage, López Obrador did not deign to meet them. Arturo Sarukhan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022 According to a Variety report published in November 2023, the upcoming film has been plagued by script changes and a lack of creative direction, with one version of the film deigning to morph into a narrative that sidelines its main draw, the double Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deign 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French deigner, from Latin dignare, dignari, from dignus worthy — more at decent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of deign was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near deign

Cite this Entry

“Deign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deign. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

deign

verb
: to think proper to one's dignity
did not deign to reply to the rude remark

More from Merriam-Webster on deign

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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