Library / English Dictionary

DEIGN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

Synonyms:

condescend; deign; descend

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "deign" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Credits

 Context examples: 

“This is their morning call. If ye will but deign to follow me, I will set them before you ere a man might tell his beads.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mr. Wickham, after a few moments, touched his hat—a salutation which Mr. Darcy just deigned to return.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I speak, she said, not deigning to take any heed of this appeal, and drawing away her dress from the contamination of Emily's touch, I speak of HIS home—where I live.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Martin did not deign to offer excuses, but called for whiskey, filling his own glass brimming before he passed the bottle.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

God grant that we may be guided aright, and that He will deign to watch over my husband and those dear to us both, and who are in such deadly peril.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Doff, dog, doff, he hissed, when a monarch deigns to lower his eyes to such as you!—then spurred through the underwood and was gone, with a gleam of steel shoes and flutter of dead leaves.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Has he deigned to add aught of civility to his ordinary style? —for I dare not hope, he continued in a lower and more serious tone, that he is improved in essentials.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Every land hath indeed its ways and manners; but I promise you, Edward, that when you are my guest in Toledo or Madrid you shall not yearn in vain for any commoner's daughter on whom you may deign to cast your eye.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)