chagrin

English

WOTD – 25 May 2009

Etymology

From French chagrin (“sorrow”), of uncertain origin.

A prevalent theory in many dictionaries is that it came from a metaphorical use of Old French chagrin (“a type of roughened leather”),[1] with the connection of roughness.

Another theory, due to Gamillscheg, is that it derives from Old French graigne (“sadness, resentment, grief”), from graim (“sorrowful”), perhaps related to Old High German gram (“angry, fierce”).[2]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈʃæɡ.ɹɪn/
  • (US) enPR: shə-grĭn', IPA(key): /ʃəˈɡɹɪn/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

chagrin (countable and uncountable, plural chagrins)

  1. Distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, want of appreciation, mistakes etc; vexation or mortification.
    Synonyms: disquiet, fretfulness, mortification, peevishness, vexation
    • 1876, Louisa May Alcott, Rose In Bloom, ch. 8:
      [H]e alone knew how deep was the deluded man's chagrin at the failure of the little plot which he fancied was prospering finely.
    • 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, in The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace‎:
      “Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it. […]”
  2. A type of leather or skin with a rough surface.[3]
    Synonym: shagreen

Usage notes

Often used in the form to one’s chagrin.

Descendants

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

chagrin (third-person singular simple present chagrins, present participle chagrining, simple past and past participle chagrined)

  1. (transitive) To bother or vex; to mortify.
    She was chagrined to note that the paint had dried into a blotchy mess.
  2. (intransitive) To be vexed or annoyed.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Fielding to this entry?)

Usage notes

The verb form is rarely found in other than passive voice.

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From chagriner, perhaps from Frankish gram, akin to German Gram[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʃa.ɡʁɛ̃/
  • audio(file)

Noun

chagrin m (plural chagrins)

  1. sorrow, grief, chagrin

Adjective

chagrin (feminine singular chagrine, masculine plural chagrins, feminine plural chagrines)

  1. (literary) despondent, woeful
  2. (literary) disgruntled, morose

References

  1. ↑ “chagrin” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.

Further reading

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