What does "deign" mean?
Deign: To condescend to give or bestow; to stoop to furnish; to vouchsafe; to allow; to grant. Nor would we deign him burial of his men. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.To think worthy; to vouchsafe; to condescend; -- followed by an infinitive. O deign to visit our forsaken seats. Pope. Yet not Lord Cranstone deigned she greet. Sir W. Scott. Round turned he, as not deigning Those craven ranks to see. Macaulay. Note: In early English deign was often used impersonally. Him deyneth not to set his foot to ground. Chaucer.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00