Deign

Pronunciation: /deɪn/

Definitions of deign

verb to do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity; to condescend

Example Sentences

A1 She didn't deign to respond to his rude comment.

A2 The queen rarely deigned to speak to the commoners.

B1 The famous author deigned to sign autographs for her fans after the book signing event.

B2 The CEO deigned to attend the company's annual meeting despite his busy schedule.

C1 The professor deigned to answer the student's challenging question with a detailed explanation.

C2 The actress only deigned to accept roles in films that met her high standards of quality.

Examples of deign in a Sentence

formal The queen will deign to attend the charity event next week.

informal I hope the professor deigns to extend the deadline for the assignment.

slang I doubt he'll deign to hang out with us after what happened last time.

figurative The sun deigned to peek out from behind the clouds, casting a warm glow over the field.

Grammatical Forms of deign

• past tense: deigned
• plural: deigns
• comparative: more deigning
• superlative: most deigning
• present tense: deign
• future tense: will deign
• perfect tense: have deigned
• continuous tense: is deigning
• singular: deign
• positive degree: deign
• infinitive: to deign
• gerund: deigning
• participle: deigned

Origin and Evolution of deign

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'deign' originated from the Old French word 'deignier' which came from the Latin word 'dignari' meaning 'to deem worthy'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of someone of higher status condescending to do something considered beneath them, the word 'deign' has evolved to also imply a sense of graciousness or willingness to do something despite one's superiority.