deigned; deigning; deigns
: to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense of the affront to one's superiority that is involved : stoop
would not even deign to talk to him
One iconoclastic architect, for example, doesn't deign to speak of bathrooms.—
Carol Vogel
Carol Vogel
: to condescend to give or offer
never so much as deigning a glance—George Meredith
George Meredith
Examples of deign in a Sentence
I wouldn't deign to answer that absurd accusation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Biden and Donald Trump — who plainly detest each other — wouldn’t deign to shake hands.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Then, when the Sun finally deigns to shine on your sign, your own ruler Venus leaves you for Scorpio.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 13 Sep. 2024
Even though Democratic lawmakers had been instrumental in its passage, López Obrador did not deign to meet them.
—Arturo Sarukhan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
According to a Variety report published in November 2023, the upcoming film has been plagued by script changes and a lack of creative direction, with one version of the film deigning to morph into a narrative that sidelines its main draw, the double Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deign 
Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Then, when the Sun finally deigns to shine on your sign, your own ruler Venus leaves you for Scorpio.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 13 Sep. 2024
Even though Democratic lawmakers had been instrumental in its passage, López Obrador did not deign to meet them.
—Arturo Sarukhan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
According to a Variety report published in November 2023, the upcoming film has been plagued by script changes and a lack of creative direction, with one version of the film deigning to morph into a narrative that sidelines its main draw, the double Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deign
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deign
Cite this Entry
“Deign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deign. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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deign
verb
: to think proper to one's dignity
did not deign to reply to the rude remark
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