deign

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /deɪn/ UK /deɪn/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like den /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Meanings

1

verb
to condescend to do something thought beneath one's dignity

He would not deign to answer such a question.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to condescend to do... condescend stoop vouchsafe consent lower

Opposites

refuse decline disdain spurn

Word family

Derived forms deigneddeigning

Related forms dignity disdain dainty indignant

Simplified etymology

Deign goes back to Latin dignare, “to judge to be worthy,” formed from dignus, “worthy.” Its meaning developed into condescending to do something and remains closely related to dignity and dignify.

Etymology

From Old French deignier ('to deem worthy'), from Latin dignari ('to deem worthy'), from dignus ('worthy').

dignari Latin dignus Latin *deḱ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# deign

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /deɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /deɪn/

## Meanings
1. to condescend to do something thought beneath one's dignity

## Examples
- He would not deign to answer such a question.

## Synonyms
- condescend
- stoop
- vouchsafe
- consent
- lower

## Antonyms
- refuse
- decline
- disdain
- spurn

## Derived Forms
- deigned
- deigning

## Related Forms
- dignity
- disdain
- dainty
- indignant

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dignari
- Root: dignus
- Root: *deḱ-

## Etymology
From Old French deignier ('to deem worthy'), from Latin dignari ('to deem worthy'), from dignus ('worthy').

## AI Etymology
Deign is from Old French deignier ('to deem worthy'), from Latin dignari ('to deem worthy'), from dignus ('worthy'). The ancestry passes through Latin dignari, Latin dignus, and Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-. In present use as a verb, it means "to condescend to do something thought beneath one's dignity", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include dignity, disdain, dainty, and indignant; derived forms include deigned and deigning. Its contrast set includes refuse, decline, disdain, and spurn, which clarifies the semantic boundary of the modern word.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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