Meaning & use
dignify
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Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To give something importance by treating it seriously, especially by responding to it.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with with: dignify a rumor with a reply.
Patterns
- dignify something with something
I refuse to dignify that rumor with a response.
The mayor would not dignify the insult by answering it.
Reporters dignified the story with front-page coverage.
verbtransitiveformal
To make someone or something seem noble, worthy of respect or more impressive.
Grammar: Takes an object: honest work dignifies a person.
Patterns
- dignify someone
- dignify something
Honest work dignifies even the humblest job.
The formal ceremony dignified the small gathering.
A simple frame dignified the child's drawing.
verbtransitiveformalhumorous
To call something by an impressive name it does not really deserve.
Grammar: Often passive with as: dignified as a mansion.
Patterns
- dignify something as something
Calling that shack a cottage seems to dignify it.
He dignified the rough sketch as a master plan.
Word forms
| third person singular | dignifies |
|---|---|
| past tense | dignified |
| past participle | dignified |
| -ing form | dignifying |
Common combinations
- dignify with a response
- She would not dignify his accusation with a response.
- dignify with a reply
- The senator did not dignify the charge with a reply.
- dignify the occasion
- The choir dignified the occasion with a simple hymn.
- dignify the work
- Fair pay dignifies the work of every employee.
- hardly dignify
- I can hardly dignify that excuse as an explanation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- honor
- Honor means to show respect to someone, while dignify adds importance to something, often by treating it seriously.
- elevate
- Elevate suggests raising something to a higher level, while dignify suggests lending it respect.
- ennoble
- Ennoble is stronger and literary, as it suggests making someone morally better as well as respected.
- acknowledge
- Acknowledge simply recognizes something, whereas dignify implies the thing is not worth that attention.
Opposites
Word family
- dignity noun
- the quality of deserving respect
- dignified adjective
- calm and serious in a way that earns respect
- dignitary noun
- an important official
- indignity noun
- treatment that hurts a person's pride
- undignified adjective
- lacking dignity
Commonly confused: dignify or deign? dignify or dignity?
dignify vs deign
Deign means to lower yourself to do something, as in he did not deign to reply; dignify means to give importance to something.
dignify vs dignity
Dignity is a noun for the quality of deserving respect, while dignify is the verb.
Practice
I will not ___ that ridiculous rumor with an answer.
Choose one answer.
Dignify something with an answer means to treat it as worth a reply. Deign does not take this pattern with an object followed by with.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dignify”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.