condescend

condescend
condescender, condescendent, n.
/kon'deuh send"/, v.i.
1. to behave as if one is conscious of descending from a superior position, rank, or dignity.
2. to stoop or deign to do something: He would not condescend to misrepresent the facts.
3. to put aside one's dignity or superiority voluntarily and assume equality with one regarded as inferior: He condescended to their intellectual level in order to be understood.
4. Obs.
a. to yield.
b. to assent.
[1300-50; ME condescenden < LL condescendere (see CON-, DESCEND); r. ME condescendre < MF]

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  • Condescend — Con de*scend , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Condescended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Condescending}.] [F. condescendre, LL. condescendere, fr. L. con + descendere. See {Descend}.] 1. To stoop or descend; to let one s self down; to submit; to waive the privilege… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • condescend — [kän΄di send′] vi. [ME condescenden < OFr condescendre < LL(Ec) condescendere, to let oneself down, condescend < L com , together + descendere,DESCEND] 1. to descend voluntarily to the level, regarded as lower, of the person one is… …   English World dictionary

  • condescend — I (deign) verb accommodate oneself, accord, be courteous, be gracious, descend, descendere, disregard prestige, grant, humble oneself, lower oneself, sacrifice pride, se submittere, stoop, tolerate, unbend, vouchsafe, waive privilege, yield II… …   Law dictionary

  • condescend — mid 14c., to yield deferentially, from O.Fr. condescendere (14c.) to agree, consent, give in, yield, from L.L. condescendere to let oneself down, from L. com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + descendere descend (see DESCEND (Cf. descend)). Sense of …   Etymology dictionary

  • condescend — *stoop, deign Analogous words: favor, accommodate, *oblige: vouchsafe, concede, *grant Antonyms: presume …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • condescend — [v] stoop, humble oneself accommodate, accord, acquiesce, agree, be courteous, bend, come down off high horse*, comply, concede, degrade oneself, deign, demean oneself, descend, favor, grant, high hat*, lower oneself, oblige, see fit, submit,… …   New thesaurus

  • condescend — ► VERB 1) show that one feels superior. 2) do something despite regarding it as below one s dignity: he condescended to see me at my hotel. DERIVATIVES condescension noun. ORIGIN Latin condescendere, from descendere descend …   English terms dictionary

  • condescend — v. (formal) 1) (d; intr.) to condescend to (to condescend to cheating) 2) (E) to condescend to mingle with the workers * * * [ˌkɒndɪ send] (E) to condescend to mingle with the workers (formal) (d; intr.) to condescend to (to condescend to… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • condescend — UK [ˌkɒndɪˈsend] / US [ˌkɑndəˈsend] verb [intransitive] Word forms condescend : present tense I/you/we/they condescend he/she/it condescends present participle condescending past tense condescended past participle condescended to behave in a way… …   English dictionary

  • condescend — con|de|scend [ˌkɔndıˈsend US ˌka:n ] v [Date: 1300 1400; : French; Origin: condescendre, from [i]Late Latin condescendere, from Latin com ( COM ) + descendere to go down ] 1.) to behave as if you think you are better, more intelligent, or more… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • condescend — con|de|scend [ ,kandə send ] verb intransitive to behave in a way that shows that you think you are more important or more intelligent than other people: condescend to: Try not to condescend to the children. condescend to do something: We waited… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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