MEANING
To agree to do something regarded as beneath one's dignity.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- deign to answer
- deign to notice
On the page
He did not deign to answer the accusation.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- deign
- Past tense
- deigned
- Past participle
- deigned
- Present participle
- deigning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- deign
- Present continuous
- am/is/are deigning
- Present perfect
- have/has deigned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been deigning
- Past
- deigned
- Past continuous
- was/were deigning
- Past perfect
- had deigned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been deigning
- Future
- will deign
- Future continuous
- will be deigning
- Future perfect
- will have deigned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been deigning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: deign; deigns; deigned; deigned; deigning Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: deigns.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.