entry
digress
/daɪˈɡrɛs/Turn aside from the main subject
From Latin dis- (apart) + Latin gradi (to step).
from Latin digressus , past participle of digredi "to go aside, depart, deviate,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin digressus , past participle of digredi "to go aside, depart, deviate,"
+1 more sourceA speaker who digresses is doing a tiny bit of road-building in reverse: one foot goes forward, the other slips off the path. Latin made that picture neatly with dis- for “aside” and gradi for “to step,” so digredi literally meant to step away. That same stepping root shows up in grade, gradual, ingredient, and even congress, where people are supposed to “come together” rather than wander off. English picked up digress in the 1520s, and it still feels like a polite little detour—one of those moments when a sentence clears its throat, leaves the room, and then hopefully remembers to come back.
The Story
A speaker who digresses is doing a tiny bit of road-building in reverse: one foot goes forward, the other slips off the path. Latin made that picture neatly with dis- for “aside” and gradi for “to step,” so digredi literally meant to step away. That same stepping root shows up in grade, gradual, ingredient, and even congress, where people are supposed to “come together” rather than wander off. English picked up digress in the 1520s, and it still feels like a polite little detour—one of those moments when a sentence clears its throat, leaves the room, and then hopefully remembers to come back.
Kin & Kindred
From 'dis-'·apart, away, aside
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'gradi'·to step, go
Derived Terms
English words from this root