Chagrin

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈʃæɡ.ɹɪn/
• US enPR: shÉ™-grÄ­n', IPA: /ʃəˈɡɹɪn/

Origin

From French chagrin ("sorrow"). Prior to that, the etymology is unclear, with several theories – of Germanic.

From dialectical French chagraigner ("to be gloomy, distress"), from chat ("cat") + Old French graim ("sorrow, gloom; sorrowful, gloomy"), from Frankish gram, a loan translation of German Katzenjammer ("drunken hang-over"), from Katzen ("cats") + jammer ("distress, sorrow, lament"). Akin to German Gram

Online Etymology Dictionary|chagrin

, Old Norse gramr ("wroth") (whence Danish gram), Old English grama ("anger"), grim ("grim, gloomy") (Modern English grim).

Another theory derives French chagrin from the verb chagriner, in its turn from Old French grigner, which is of Germanic origin and cognate to English grin.

pour tous, Dictionnaire de la langue française, Janvier 2004, p. 169, chagrin and chagriner

. More at cat, grim, grimace, grin, yammer.

Full definition of chagrin

Noun

1. Distress of mind caused by a failure of aims or plans, want of appreciation, mistakes etc; vexation or mortification.
• 1876, Louisa May Alcott, Rose In Bloom, ch. 8:He alone knew how deep was the deluded man's chagrin at the failure of the little plot which he fancied was prospering finely.
• 1905, w, w:The Case of Miss Elliott Chapter 1, “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.

Usage notes

Often used in the form to one’s chagrin.

Synonyms

• (distress of mind) disquiet, fretfulness, mortification, peevishness, vexation
• (type of leather) shagreen

Descendants

• shagreen

Verb

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.

Usage notes

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

Anagrams

• arching