chagrin
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈʃæɡ.ɹɪn/
enpr: shə-grĭn'
ipa: /ʃəˈɡɹɪn/
rhymes: (UK) -æɡɹɪn
rhymes: (US) -ɪn
Forms: form: chagrins
form: chagrining
form: chagrinning
form: chagrined
form: chagrined
form: chagrinned
form: chagrinned
form: chagrine
Etymology: From French chagrin (“sorrow”), from Middle French chagrin (“pain, affliction”) (compare Middle French chagriner, chagrigner (“to experience sorrow”), Old French chagrin (“painful, afflicted”)), probably derived from Old Northern French chagreiner, chagraigner (“to sadden”), of uncertain origin. Likely an enlargement of Old French greignier, graignier (“to cringe, growl, be sullen, be angry, grieve over”), from Old French graigne (“sadness, resentment, grief”), from graim (“sorrowful”), related to Old High German gram (“furious, gloomy, grieved”). The initial syllable is obscure. It may represent Old French chat (“cat”) to express the idea of "lamenting or yowling like cats" (compare German Katzenjammer (“distress, frustration, depression, chagrin”, literally “cat-wailing, cat-misery”), katzbalgen (“to cat-fight”)).
An alternative theory is that it came from a metaphorical use of French chagrin, (peau de) chagrain (“a type of roughened leather”), with the connection of roughness, though some dictionaries consider this to be a separate word derived from Old French peau de sagrin, from Ottoman Turkish [script needed] (sağrı, “the rump of an animal, skin for tawing”). The alteration of initial s to ch is likely due to influence from chagrin meaning "sorrow".
Senses: examples: text: But since this Infidel Minister knows the folly of these Brags; which he sees destroy’d by the Relations Printed in other Countries: They serve only, for a Subject to augment his Pride; and gives him a Pleasure, the mor to Chagrine and Mortifie the French Ambassador.
ref: 1683, Richard Tonson, Jacob Tonson, translated by Daniel Defoe, An Account of Monsieur De Quesne’s Late Expedition at Chio, London, page 50:
text: […] though you send at any Time, and even received an unmannerly Answer, do not let a rash Pride drive you to return the Affront, since it is impossible for you to know what at that Instant had chagrin’d their Temper.
ref: 1748, Laetitia Pilkington, Memoirs, volume 3, Dublin, page 75:
text: Meet once a year, then part, and then
Retiring, wish to meet again.
ref: 1764, William Shenstone, “The Progress of Taste,” Part I, in The Works in Verse and Prose of William Shenstone, London: R. & J. Dodsley, Volume I, p. 265, But friends and fav’rites, to chagrin them, Find counties, countries, seas, between them
text: He felt pretty sure that, if this interview took place, his mother's account of what passed at it would only annoy and chagrin him, though he would all the time be aware of the colouring which it received by passing through her mind.
ref: 1855, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter 40, in North and South:
text: She would go on like that for hours, connecting one offense to another until all of the things that chagrined her were spewed out.
ref: 1970, Toni Morrison, “Autumn”, in The Bluest Eye, New York: Pocket Books, published 1972, page 23:
glosses: To bother or vex; to mortify.
examples: text: Dear Ma’am, why will you chagrine yourself about a vile Man, that is not worth,—no, as I live and breathe,—not worth a single Sigh?—
ref: 1760, Arthur Murphy, The Way to Keep Him, London: P. Vaillant, act I, scene 1, page 8:
glosses: To be vexed or annoyed.
Derived terms: chagrined
chagrining