▪ I. disdain, n.
(dɪsˈdeɪn)
Forms: α. 3–5 dedeyn(e, 4 dedeigne, -eyng, -ayn, 5 dedein. β. 4–5 desdeyn, -dayn. γ. 4 disdein(e, 4–5 -deyn(e, 4–6 -deigne, 4–7 -dayn(e, 5 dysdane, -dene, -dayne, Sc. disdenȝe, -dene, 6–7 disdaine, 6– disdain. Cf. sdeign.
[ME. dedeyn, desdeyn, a. OF. desdeign, -daign, -daing, -dain, AF. dedeigne (Langtoft Chron. II. 430), mod.F. dedain = Pr. desdaing, -denh, Cat. desdeny, Sp. desdeño, It. disdegno (sdegno), Romanic deriv. of des-, disdegnare to disdain: see next.]
1. The feeling entertained towards that which one thinks unworthy of notice or beneath one's dignity; scorn, contempt.
| α c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 414/387 He hadde gret de-deyn smale þefþes to do. a 1300 Cursor M. 11309 (Cott.) O pouert na dedeigne [later MSS. disdeyn, -dayne], had he. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxviii. 6 Þai ere kald vnycorns for pride & dedeyne. c 1450 Myrc 1159 Hast [þow] had any dedeyn Of oþer synfulle þat þou hast seyn? |
| γ 1393 Gower Conf. I. 121 He, which love had in disdeigne. 1540–1 Elyot Image Gov. Pref. (1556) 3 Although disdeigne and envie dooe cause them to speake it. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado iii. i. 51 Disdaine and Scorne ride sparkling in her eyes, Mis-prizing what they looke on. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 98 That fixt mind And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xi. vii, As I received no answer..my disdain would not suffer me to continue my application. 1824 L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 440 Haughtiness is founded on the high opinion we entertain of ourselves; disdain, on the low opinion we have of others. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. (1864) V. ix. viii. 401 They were called in disdain the Puritans, an appellation which perhaps they did not disdain. 1875 F. Hall in Lippincott's Mag. XV. 342/1, I..had conceived a disdain of feathered things, bustards excepted. |
† b. with
pl. An instance or exhibition of this.
| a 1631 Donne Dial. w. Sir H. Wotton (T.), So her disdains can ne'er offend. 1632 Sir T. Hawkins tr. Mathieu's Vnhappy Prosp. 152 My disdaines have served my purposes. |
† 2. Indignation; anger or vexation arising from offended dignity; dudgeon.
to have d.: to be indignant, take offence.
to have in d.,
to have d. of: to be indignant or offended at.
Obs.| α 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 193 Of þyn vnryȝt ychabbe gret dedeyn. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxxvi. 1 Noli emulari in malignantibus..Will not haf dedeyn in ill willand. Ibid. lxxxiv. 3 Auertisti ab ira indignacionis tue..Þou turnyd fra þe wreth of þi dedeyn. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 70 Þis eldere sone hadde dedeyn, and wolde not come in. a 1400–50 Alexander 3155 He dedeyne [Dubl. MS. disdayne] hade, Þat þai ware comen doun of kyngis, and be no cause ellis. |
| β c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. Prol. 28 (Ellesm. MS.), I prey yow haueth me nat in desdeyn [v.r. disdeyne] Though to this man I speke a word or two. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 17 The king saide, ‘y chese the yongest of the .iij. doughters..’ of the whiche the eldest and the secounde had gret meruaile and desdeyn. 1481 Caxton Myrr. ii. vi. 72 Of grete desdayn he suffreth to be slayn and dye. |
| γ c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 789 (Sloane MS.) But take it nought I praie ȝow in disdeigne [v.rr. disdeyne, disdayn, desdeyn]. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 345 But Phebus, which hath great disdein Of that his maiden was forlein. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. xiii. 160 Than Jupiter..Haifand disdene ony mortall suld be Rasit to lyf. 1600 E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 299 The defeat of the Armie..caused..throughout the Realme a great griefe and disdaine. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. ii. 35 The disdain and shame whereof, hath euer since kept Hector fasting and waking. 1659 B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 229 Having conceived some disdain against his Master. a 1677 Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 I. 62 The great person..took the neglect in huge disdain. |
† b. fig. Of a wound: Angriness, inflamed condition.
Obs. rare. (
Cf. proud flesh.)
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 102 Whanne þilke wounde was sowdid þe pannicle þat was not weel heelid hadde a dedein & was cause of gendrynge of a crampe. |
† 3. Loathing, aversion, dislike.
Obs.| [1370–80 in O.E. Misc. 228 And hedden of mony metes de-deyn.] 1655 Culpepper Riverius i. vii. 30 These are the forerunners of an Epilepsy; disdain of meat [etc.]. |
† b. transf. The quality which excites aversion; loathsomeness. (
Cf. dain n. 3.)
Obs.| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. i. 14 Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine. |
▪ II. disdain, v. (
dɪsˈdeɪn)
Forms: α. 4
dedeyngne, 4–5
dedeyne, 5
dedene; β. 4
desdaine,
-deigne, 6
-dayne. γ. 5
disdeyne,
-daigne, (
disdeynt), 5–6
dys-, 5–7
disdayne, 6
disdeine,
-dane, 6–7
-daine,
-deigne, 6–
disdain.
Cf. also
sdeign v.
[ME., a. OF. desdeignier, -deigner (3rd s. pres. -deigne), in later F. dédaigner, = Pr. desdegnar, Cat. desdenyar, Sp. dedeñar, Pg. desdenhar, It. disdegnare (sdegnare); a Common Romanic vb. representing, with des- for L. dē- (see de- 6), L. dēdignāre (collateral form of dēdignārī) to reject as unworthy, disdain. f. de- 6 + dignāre, -ārī to think or treat as worthy; cf. deign.] 1. trans. To think unworthy of oneself, or of one's notice; to regard or treat with contempt; to despise, scorn.
a. with
simple obj.| α and β c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 42 (Ellesm. MS.) Lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne [other MSS. disdeyne]. 1483 Cath. Angl. 93/1 To Desden (Deden A.), dedignari, detrahere, detractare; vbi. to disspise. |
| γ c 1386 [see α and β]. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xvi. lvii, I fere to sore I shal disdayned be. 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 4 He laid against me..that I did disdain everi mans cumpani. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage v. xvii. 459 Whose proud top would disdaine climing. 1754 Edwards Freed. Will iv. iv. 217 Some seem to disdain the Distinction that we make between natural and moral Necessity. 1821 Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 52 If they disdained not such a prostrate slave. 1858 Lytton What will he do? i. x, I disdain your sneer. |
b. with
inf. or gerund. To think it beneath one, to scorn (
to do or
doing something).
| α c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2179 Ys herte was so gret, þat he dedeynede to clepe, ‘oundo’; bot ran to wiþ is fet. |
| β 1393 Gower Conf. III. 227 If..a king..Desdaineth for to done hem grace. |
| γ 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xv. 43 They dysdayne to obeye to theyre capytayne. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xxiv. 70 They dysdayne to speke to me. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 11 Neither did we disdaine to reuise that which we had done. 1769 Goldsm. Roman Hist. (1786) I. 397 This..was the title the Roman general disdained granting him. 1786 W. Thomson Watson's Philip III (1839) 357 [They] disdained to follow this example of submission. 1868 E. Edwards Raleigh I. xx. 455 Grey..had disdained to beg his life. |
c. To think (a thing) unworthy of (something). (
Cf. deign v. 2.)
| 1646 J. Hall Horæ Vac. 23 Nature disdeigned it a Roome. |
d. To think (anything) unworthy
of.
| 1591 Spenser Ruins of Time Ded., God hath disdeigned the world of that most noble Spirit. |
† 2. To be indignant, angry, or offended at.
Obs.| 1494 Fabyan Chron. ii. xlviii. 32 The kynge disdeynynge this demeanure of Andragius, after dyuers monycions..gatheryd his knyghtes and made warre vpon Andragius. 1632 Lithgow Trav. Prol. B, To shun Ingratitude, which I disdaine as Hell. 1633 T. Stafford Pac. Hib. vi. (1821) 84 His answer was much disdained. 1695 Ld. Preston Boeth. iii. 106 Hence..we often so much disdain their being conferr'd upon undeserving Men. |
b. with
subord. clause: To be indignant
that.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III, 45 The kyng of Scottes disdeignynge that the stronge castell of Dumbarre should remayne in thenglish mennes handes. 1587 Turberv. Trag. T. (1837) 128 Who highly did disdaine That such..abuse his honour should distaine. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. ii. Wks. 1856 I. 27, I have nineteene mistresses alreadie, and I not much disdeigne that thou shold'st make up the ful score. 1796 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. I. 14 Disdaining that the enemies of Christ should abound in wealth. |
† 3. intr. To be moved with indignation, be indignant, take offence. Const.
at (rarely
against,
of,
on).
Obs.| α 1382 Wyclif Job xxxii. 3 But aȝen the thre frendis of hym he dedeynede, forthi that thei hadden not founde a resounable answere. ― Matt. xxi. 15 The princis of prestis and scribis..dedeyneden, and seiden to hym, Heerist thou what these seyen? a 1400 Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. 90 Þat deuyls lymme, dedeyned at þi dede. |
| γ 14.. Epiph. in Tundale's Vis. 108 Of whos cumyng though thou dysdeyne Hyt may not pleynly help. 1526 Tindale Matt. xx. 24 They disdayned at the two brethren. ― John vii. 23 Disdayne ye at me, because I made a man every whit whoale? c 1563 Cavendish Ld. Seymour iv., in Wolsey, etc. (1825) II. 105 To disdayn ayenst natures newe estate. 1636 B. Jonson Discov. ad fin., Ajax, deprived of Achilles' armour..disdains; and growing impatient of the injury, rageth, and runs mad. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 150 Cheese and Butter is among them, but such as squemish English stomacks will disdaine at. |
† 4. trans. To move to indignation or scorn; to offend, anger, displease.
Obs.| a 1470 Tiptoft Caesar x. (1530) 12 Induciomarus was sore displeased and dysdayned at thys doynge. 1627 Vox Piscis A v b, It shall nothing disdaine you; for it is no new thing, but even that which you have continually looked for. 1650 Howell Giraffi's Rev. Naples 18 The people..being much disdain'd that the Vice-Roy had scap'd. 1790–1817 Combe Devil upon Two Sticks in Lond. I. 251 Fashionable amusements delight him not, and even elegant vice disdains him. |
† b. impers. it disdains me: it moves my indignation, offends me.
| c 1440 York Myst. v. 11 Me thoght þat he The kynde of vs tane myght, And þer-at dideyned me. |