condescend

debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way

Latin condescendere, to come down, yield, from com- + descendere to go down

“She would not condescend to allude to the unutterable wretchedness afflicting her, but spoke of her duty to her father being foremost in her prayers for strength.”

— George Meredith, Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith

Seraphina, a stern librarian in Yangon, refused to condescend to theft. When a thief tried stealing rare books, she chased him down the street, shouting, "That's my morally upright dignity you're trampling!" Passersby laughed as she triumphed, books and honor intact.

On a crisp autumn morning along the St. Lawrence River, Tariq spotted a homeless man rummaging through a trash bin near the Quai Jacques-Cartier. With a sigh, he fished out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and condescended to drop it into the man's hat, making sure everyone nearby noticed his gesture.

“Botkin, to whose delusions John Shade and the rest of the faculty of Wordsmith College generally condescend.”