Home › Glossary › Letter V

vouchsafe

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To grant or give graciously or condescendingly—implying hierarchical benevolence, frequent in courtly or devotional contexts.

Detailed Definition
“Vouchsafe” implies benevolent bestowal—gods vouchsafe grace, lovers vouchsafe glance. In poetry, it frames humble request or divine gift. The term’s formality suits elevated diction. Poets use it to explore how power grants favor, where vouchsafing marks mercy or condescension, reinforcing themes of hierarchy, grace, and the ethics of giving in devotional and courtly contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Vouchsafe me thy grace,” pleads the petitioner; In Milton: “Vouchsafe, O Lord, to hear my prayer”; “She vouchsafed a smile to the beggar”; “Vouchsafe not trust to flatterers”; “The king vouchsafed an audience”; Vouchsafe thy light to the seeker.
Additional Notes
“Vouchsafe” conveys gracious condescension—“vouchsafe to hear me”—common in petitions to gods or nobles; its humility reflects hierarchical social structures, framing requests as appeals to superior benevolence.
Also Known As
grant bestow condescend
Skip to main content