grace note

noun

1
: a musical note added as an ornament
especially : appoggiatura
2
: a small addition or embellishment

Examples of grace note in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Beharie, both effectively fiery and too frequently forgotten; supporting MVP Pittman, weathering a ludicrous love story opposite Clive Standen; and especially Lee, often adding grace notes of comedy that the series desperately needs, are all exceptional and benefit from this extra level of focus. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2023 Isbell also noted that his mother, Angela Hill Barnett, was in the house on Friday -- a warm grace note that amped up the home-state appeal. Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 25 June 2023 Which is also a good way of summing up the film as a whole; for every grace note (like a sequence in which Paul and a fellow soldier talk while an aerial dogfight happens way, way off in the distance), there are a dozen scenes that mean to pummel you by any and all means necessary. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023 Flavors of wild herbs and juicy berries provide the grace notes. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 11 May 2023 And the ultimate grace note? Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2020 Jeune et Jolie restaurant owner John Resnick and his executive chef Eric Bost both said Monday that the star award is a wonderful grace note for a year that began last winter with a COVID lockdown and has since become the 120-seat restaurant’s best year ever. San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2021 The second is an amusing, if also obvious, grace note: Both names begin with the same letter. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2023 The line serves as both a poignant epitaph for Klee and a beautiful grace note for this affecting film. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grace note.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grace note was circa 1823

Dictionary Entries Near grace note

Cite this Entry

“Grace note.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grace%20note. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

grace note

noun
: a short musical note added before another as an ornament
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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