gratify
verb
grat·i·fy
ˈgra-tə-ˌfī 
gratified; gratifying
1
: to be a source of or give pleasure or satisfaction to
It gratified him to have his wife wear jewels …—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather3
archaic
: remunerate, reward
Did you know?
A gratifying experience is quietly pleasing or satisfying. But gratifying an impulse means giving in to it, which isn't always such a good idea, and "instant gratification" of every desire will result in a life based on junk food and worse. Truly gratifying experiences and accomplishments usually are the result of time and effort.
Examples of gratify in a Sentence
A guilty verdict would gratify the victim's relatives.
He's only concerned with gratifying his own desires.
Recent Examples on the Web
This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
But any correspondence between string theory and experiment is gratifying to Vafa, who has spent the past four decades trying to wrest the theory from the purely conceptual realm to the point of generating testable predictions.
—
Quanta Magazine,
22 June 2026
The original is a gratifying valentine.
—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
That is, the person who chooses a gratifying activity in the present moment is correct in relation to their current desires, but wrong about their future ones.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gratify
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James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
But any correspondence between string theory and experiment is gratifying to Vafa, who has spent the past four decades trying to wrest the theory from the purely conceptual realm to the point of generating testable predictions.
—
Quanta Magazine,
22 June 2026
The original is a gratifying valentine.
—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
That is, the person who chooses a gratifying activity in the present moment is correct in relation to their current desires, but wrong about their future ones.
—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gratify
Cite this Entry
“Gratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratify. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gratify
verb
grat·i·fy
ˈgrat-ə-ˌfī
gratified; gratifying
1
: to give or be a source of pleasure or satisfaction to
2
: to grant a favor to : indulge
gratification
noun
ˌgrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
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