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chagrin

noun
/ˈʃaɡ.ɹɪn/UK/ʃəˈɡɹɪn/US/ʃæˈɡɹiːn/

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".

  1. derived from chat — “cat”
  2. derived from graigne — “sadness, resentment, grief”
  3. derived from greignier
  4. derived from chagreiner
  5. derived from chagrin — “pain, affliction”
  6. borrowed from chagrin — “sorrow”

Definitions

  1. A distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, a want of appreciation,…

    A distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, a want of appreciation, mistakes, etc.; vexation or mortification.

    • much to the chagrin (of)
    • [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.
    • “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. To bother or vex

    To bother or vex; to mortify.

    • […] 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.
    • Meet once a year, then part, and then Retiring, wish to meet again.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To be vexed or annoyed.

      • 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?—

    2. Feeling chagrin

      Feeling chagrin; annoyed; vexed, fretful.

      • Dear, my dear, pity me; I am so chagrin to day, and have had the most signal affront at Court!
      • […] instead of rejoycing at this Prosperity of his Family, which a true Father of his Children would have esteem’d his own, a Spirit of Envy and Discontent seized him, and he went away chagrine and melancholy.
      • 1728, Henry Fielding, Love in Several Masques, Act V, Scene 3, in The Works of Henry Fielding, Esq, London: W. Strahan et al., 1784, Volume I, p. 174, I wou’d not have your ladyship chagrin at my bride’s expression […]

The neighborhood

Derived

shagreen, chagrined, chagrining

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at chagrin. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01chagrin02vexation03countable04freely05generous06petty07spite

A definitional loop anchored at chagrin. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at chagrin

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA