CONDESCEND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does condescend mean? 

• CONDESCEND (verb)
  The verb CONDESCEND has 4 senses:

1. behave in a patronizing and condescending manner

2. do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

3. debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way

4. treat condescendingly

  Familiarity information: CONDESCEND used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONDESCEND (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they condescend    ... he / she / it condescends   
Past simple: condescended   
Past participle: condescended   
-ing form: condescending   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Behave in a patronizing and condescending manner

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "condescend" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

condescension (affability to your inferiors and temporary disregard for differences of position or rank)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

condescend; deign; descend

Hypernyms (to "condescend" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 3

Meaning:

Debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

condescend; lower oneself; stoop

Context example:

I won't stoop to reading other people's mail

Hypernyms (to "condescend" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Treat condescendingly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

condescend; patronise; patronize

Hypernyms (to "condescend" is one way to...):

interact (act together or towards others or with others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "condescend"):

stoop to (make concessions to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

condescension (a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient)

 Context examples 

She condescended to make no reply, but, turning on me with another scornful laugh, said: The friends of this excellent and much-injured young lady are friends of yours.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But I suppose the New Woman won't condescend in future to accept; she will do the proposing herself.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“If you should chance to be in town, they would think it a great honour if you should condescend to look in upon us.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Perhaps you would condescend to go farther into the matter.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Come in, Mr. Dance,” says he, very stately and condescending.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“If your Majesty would condescend to state your case,” he remarked, “I should be better able to advise you.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Already the doors had all been shut and the whistle blown, when— “My dear Watson,” said a voice, “you have not even condescended to say good-morning.”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She sniffed noses with him, and even condescended to leap about and frisk and play with him in quite puppyish fashion.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The clerk, being a married man, condescended to take an interest in the couple, who appeared to be shopping for their family.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He had condescended to mortgage as far as he had the power, but he would never condescend to sell.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)