grace

noun

\ ˈgrās

Definition of grace

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification

b : a virtue coming from God

c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance

2a : approval, favor stayed in his good graces

b archaic : mercy, pardon

c : a special favor : privilege each in his place, by right, not grace, shall rule his heritage— Rudyard Kipling

d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency

e : a temporary exemption : reprieve

3a : a charming or attractive trait or characteristic Among disagreeable qualities he possessed the saving grace of humor.

b : a pleasing appearance or effect : charm all the grace of youth— John Buchan

c : ease and suppleness (see supple entry 1 sense 2b) of movement or bearing danced with such grace

4 —used as a title of address or reference for a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop

5 : a short prayer at a meal asking a blessing or giving thanks

6 Graces plural : three sister goddesses in Greek mythology who are the givers of charm and beauty

7 : a musical trill, turn, or appoggiatura

8a : sense of propriety or right had the grace not to run for elective office— Calvin Trillin

b : the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful accepted his advice with grace

grace

verb

graced; gracing

Definition of grace (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to confer dignity or honor on The king graced him with the rank of a knight.

2 : adorn, embellish graveled walks graced with statues— J. A. Michener

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about grace

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Choose the Right Synonym for grace

Noun

mercy, charity, clemency, grace, leniency mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion. mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it. threw himself on the mercy of the court charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others. show a little charity for the less fortunate clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing. the judge refused to show clemency grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions. by the grace of God leniency implies lack of severity in punishing. criticized the courts for excessive leniency

Examples of grace in a Sentence

Noun

She walked across the stage with effortless grace. She handles her problems with grace and dignity. He has shown remarkable grace during this crisis. She is quite lovable despite her lack of social graces. Let us give thanks for God's grace. By the grace of God, no one was seriously hurt. She tried to live her life in God's grace.

Verb

Several marble statues grace the courtyard. I hope that you will grace our gathering with your presence.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The entire movie hinges on their tense relationship, and Andy spends the better part of two hours trying to get into Miranda's good graces, which finally happens right before the closing credits. — Zoe Weiner, Glamour, "This 'Devil Wears Prada' Deleted Scene Tells a Completely Different Story," 30 Aug. 2017 Rather, I was suspended in a state of grace, and my heart almost exploded at the joy. — Maria Finn, Longreads, "Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?," 28 Aug. 2017 Dance is also an important part of the conservatory’s mission, and the spring dance program April 26-28 at White Recital Hall will celebrate the athleticism and grace of the school’s dancers. — Patrick Neas, kansascity, "UMKC Conservatory’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ will be ‘real feast for eyes and ears’," 25 Aug. 2017 Elba is the biggest saving grace in a wasteland of woes. — Rick Bentley, idahostatesman, "‘The Dark Tower’ pale version of King’s story," 3 Aug. 2017 Carefully observing the modest and grace-filled mother of Jesus, the masterpiece of God’s love, Mary Magdalene would have learned what true feminine beauty looks like. — Nr Interview, National Review, "Finding Peace with Mary Magdalene," 22 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Die-hard fans would be the first to notice that not everybody from the MTV original graced the red carpet. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Everyone Who Is & Isn't Returning To The Hills: New Beginnings," 20 June 2019 The chair that Mr Berlin once graced at Oxford lies empty. — The Economist, "The centre cannot hold - the failure of Change UK and the atrophying of political thought," 19 June 2019 These are the kinds of top designers whose homes grace the covers of magazines and whose interiors may likely seem utterly unattainable to the average homeowner. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "It's More Affordable Than Ever to Bring Top Designers' Style Home," 18 June 2019 For centuries, Native Americans lived in the far west Texas terrain bordered by the Rio Grande, and graced by the Chisos mountains. — Danny Hermosillo, Houston Chronicle, "Happy 75th birthday, Big Bend: A look back at this Texas treasure over the decades," 12 June 2019 Max's work has been exhibited at museums, been the basis of popular wall posters, promoted major sporting events, graced the covers of rock records and appeared on a U.S. postage stamp. — Verena Dobnik, USA TODAY, "Peter Max's wife found dead amid allegations she exploited the artist," 11 June 2019 Chase inspired generations of food writers who devoted graphs of stories to her famed Gumbo Z’Herbes, which graced the table cloths of Dooky Chase’s once a year for Holy Thursday. — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al.com, "Southern chefs, food writers celebrate iconic restaurateur Leah Chase in photos," 4 June 2019 But the dream of running a more full-featured operating system on Chromebooks is anything but doomed, even if Windows never graces a Google-y laptop. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld, "The dream of dual-booting Windows 10 on Chromebooks appears dead," 16 May 2019 From gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue to starring on Netflix's Grace and Frankie, running her own digital fashion app, and raising two kids, Brooklyn Decker does it all. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Watch Brooklyn Decker's Six-Step Nightly Skincare Routine," 1 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.