1
2
: merciful, compassionate
—used conventionally of royalty and high nobility
my gracious lord, the Duke of Windsor
3
a
archaic
: pleasing, acceptable
b
obsolete
: godly
graciously
adverb
graciousness
noun
Examples of gracious in a Sentence
This is not a surprise given the welcome, gracious atmosphere, the uncommon competence of the kitchen, with its familiar Little Italy Italian menu … and the restaurant's credible wine list.
—
Mark Bittman, New York Times, 26 June 2002
If there are not too many in the group, you might inquire solicitously about their health. If you are in a particularly gracious mood, you might even give them a brief resume of your physical condition.
—Groucho Marx, letter, 15 Nov. 1951,
in The Groucho Letters, 1987
Phoebe closed her eyes, seeing her father moving like a shadow among his guests, gracious, smiling, pouring wine and exchanging greetings.
—Judith Berry Griffin, Phoebe the Spy, 1977
The reception started in orderly enough fashion—gracious and leisurely. Paula Locker, the President of the Club, met me at the door, and I took my place in line with her, with Fishbait Miller doing the introducing.
—Lady Bird Johnson, A White House Diary, 1970
Thank you for your gracious hospitality.
The magazine promotes gracious living.
Mark Bittman, New York Times, 26 June 2002
If there are not too many in the group, you might inquire solicitously about their health. If you are in a particularly gracious mood, you might even give them a brief resume of your physical condition.
—Groucho Marx, letter, 15 Nov. 1951,
in The Groucho Letters, 1987
Phoebe closed her eyes, seeing her father moving like a shadow among his guests, gracious, smiling, pouring wine and exchanging greetings.
—Judith Berry Griffin, Phoebe the Spy, 1977
The reception started in orderly enough fashion—gracious and leisurely. Paula Locker, the President of the Club, met me at the door, and I took my place in line with her, with Fishbait Miller doing the introducing.
—Lady Bird Johnson, A White House Diary, 1970
Thank you for your gracious hospitality.
The magazine promotes gracious living.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some might say that is the definition of England at the height of its empire: well-mannered, gracious and comfortable for those at the apex; brutal for everyone below.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The gracious, old-world Pabst and Riverside theaters also remain unbooked, according to entertainment industry officials.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
God is kind, gracious, merciful, truthful and forgiving.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Staff were incredibly friendly, polite, and gracious.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Indeed, the rest of us can only aspire to be half as zealous, shrewd, and gracious as the eternal feminist icon is at 90.
—Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
Nancy is a trailblazer who is known to be kind, empathetic and gracious with her time.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Of course, Cullinan, on the cusp of his investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, bid each guest a gracious farewell as the night came to a close.
—Maia Torres, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Take the high road by being patient and gracious (for your own happiness).
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2024
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The gracious, old-world Pabst and Riverside theaters also remain unbooked, according to entertainment industry officials.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
God is kind, gracious, merciful, truthful and forgiving.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Staff were incredibly friendly, polite, and gracious.
—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Indeed, the rest of us can only aspire to be half as zealous, shrewd, and gracious as the eternal feminist icon is at 90.
—Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
Nancy is a trailblazer who is known to be kind, empathetic and gracious with her time.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Of course, Cullinan, on the cusp of his investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, bid each guest a gracious farewell as the night came to a close.
—Maia Torres, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Take the high road by being patient and gracious (for your own happiness).
—Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gracious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gracious
Cite this Entry
“Gracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gracious. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gracious
adjective
gra·cious
ˈgrā-shəs 
1
: marked by kindness and courtesy
2
: pleasing or attractive in motion or form
gracious ballet steps
3
: characterized by charm, good taste, and politeness
gracious living
graciously
adverb
graciousness
noun
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