graceful

adjective

grace·​ful ˈgrās-fəl How to pronounce graceful (audio)
: displaying grace (see grace entry 1 sense 3) in form or action : pleasing or attractive in line, proportion, or movement
a graceful dancer
gracefully adverb
gracefulness noun

Examples of graceful in a Sentence

He has become a very graceful dancer. the graceful movements of a ballerina She was a graceful young woman with delicate features. the long, graceful neck of a swan His writing is clear and graceful. There was no graceful way to say no to their offer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Much of the aesthetic was defined by long-slung, horizontal homes that were intended to emulate the graceful expanse of the midwest Prairie. Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 8 May 2025 Certainly, the words graceful or athletic do not come to mind. Ernie Cowan, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025 His high standards for the insides of the sandwich are a fair part of Angelo’s magic, but the real miracle is his bread: graceful torpedoes of flour and yeast and dough, the crust baked to a crisp, autumnal golden-brown and dusted with sesame seeds, the interior both soft and dense, sour and salty. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025 No, what unfolds is a richly layered and surprisingly graceful look at how families remain bonded and strong amidst turmoil, especially when money, grief and unresolved tensions get in the way. Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for graceful

Word History

Etymology

see grace entry 1

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of graceful was in 1557

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Graceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graceful. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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