DEIGN
What does "DEIGN" mean?
To do something one considers beneath one's dignity, often with a show of condescension.
Meanings
- To condescend to do something; to lower oneself to act, usually reluctantly. He barely deigned to glance at the menu the waiter offered. formal
Did you know?
- To deign is, by its Latin root 'dignus' (worthy), to judge something just barely worthy of you - the same root that gives 'dignity' its pride and 'disdain' its sneer.
Word origin
From Old French 'deignier', from Latin 'dignari' 'to deem worthy', from 'dignus' 'worthy'; a close relative of 'dignity' and 'disdain'.
Remember it
DEIGN rhymes with 'reign' - a monarch deigns from on high, lowering themselves just enough to act.
A little poem
The cat, mid-nap, cracks one slow eye,
weighs whether you are worth the strain,
then yawns, and does not deign to reign.
tercet
Wordplay
- I asked the royal cat to come down for dinner. It would not deign - apparently I outrank a nap, but only just.
What it teaches
Those who only deign to help measure their worth by how little they give.
Quick facts
What does DEIGN mean?
To do something one considers beneath one's dignity, often with a show of condescension.
Is DEIGN a valid word?
Yes — DEIGN is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is DEIGN?
DEIGN has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does DEIGN come from?
From Old French 'deignier', from Latin 'dignari' 'to deem worthy', from 'dignus' 'worthy'; a close relative of 'dignity' and 'disdain'.
What can DEIGN teach us?
Those who only deign to help measure their worth by how little they give.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.