deign

verb

\ ˈdān

deigned; deigning; deigns

Definition of deign

: 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 glance— George Meredith

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about deign

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Examples of deign in a Sentence

I wouldn't deign to answer that absurd accusation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyoncé’s repertoire is often called upon by newlyweds looking for a first dance song, but rarely does the superstar herself deign to take on the role of wedding singer. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Beyoncé’s Performance Style at Isha Ambani’s Wedding Was a Celebration of Indian Couture," 10 Dec. 2018 Most professional chefs, in fact, won’t deign to use them, claiming they’re wasteful, single-purpose tools that provide a service better achieved with a standard kitchen knife. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Eva Solo Is the Only Garlic Press You'll Ever Need," 7 Nov. 2018 The man behind the counter may or may not deign to greet you. — Anne Kadet, WSJ, "The Cobbler Business Has a Lot of Heart, but Fewer Souls These Days," 21 Aug. 2018 Suits may be going the way of the dodo and sneakers may be infiltrating the cubicle, but can a man at least deign to tuck in his shirt on weekdays? — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Please, Men of the World, Tuck in Your Shirts," 29 Aug. 2018 In other bad news of the week, on Monday President Trump signed a $716 billion defense policy bill named for John McCain but did not deign to mention the senator’s name even once. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "No Parades for A President "Drunk on Power"," 19 Aug. 2018 The White House maintains the Eagles organization was disingenuous by not saying until late in the game that few players would deign to be there. — Erik Brady, USA TODAY, "Trump has it wrong: Eagles disrespect their president, not their country," 5 June 2018 Anno 1800 Hey, that new Anno game! Ubisoft didn’t deign to show it at its own press conference, but Anno 1880 made an appearance at the PC Gaming Show and that’s good enough for me. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "PC Gaming Show at E3 2018: Yakuza 0, Warframe: The Sacrifice, Star Control Origins, and a Jaws sim," 11 June 2018 So when the universe deigned to help out, astronomers jumped at the chance. — Joshua Sokol, Scientific American, "Gravitational Waves Reveal the Hearts of Neutron Stars," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.