Definition of gracious
1a obsolete : godlyb archaic : pleasing, acceptable
2a : marked by kindness and courtesy a gracious hostb : gracefulc : marked by tact and delicacy : urbaned : characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of wealth and good breeding gracious living
3 : merciful, compassionate —used conventionally of royalty and high nobility my gracious lord, the Duke of Windsor
graciously
adverbgraciousness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of gracious in a Sentence
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
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 of 15 Nov. 1951in The Groucho Letters1987
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
Thank you for your gracious hospitality.
The magazine promotes gracious living.
Recent Examples of gracious from the Web
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Meanwhile, perfect the art of the gracious white lie.
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The gracious gesture was unnecessary, given the growth of the Stanton brand leading up to Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.
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Everyone is expected to be gracious to guests and represent the company.
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Especially if your host is a gracious rock star (Tilda Swinton).
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But even in this moment of rejection, Jonathan was unflinchingly gracious, complimentary, good-natured, and confident.
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OSU was gracious in defeat, despite their struggles at the plate.
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Melania, Marla, and Ivana have their gracious livings secured, mob-style, by their silence and invisibility.
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For South Farm, Fleming created a sense of gracious living in the style of an 18th Century English country house.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gracious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gracious
Middle English, from Anglo-French gracieus, from Latin gratiosus enjoying favor, agreeable, from gratia
Synonym Discussion of gracious
GRACIOUS Defined for English Language Learners
gracious
playDefinition of gracious for English Language Learners
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: very polite in a way that shows respect
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: having or showing the attractive things (such as charm, good taste, and comfort) that are associated with having a lot of money
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—used as an interjection to express mild surprise or for emphasis
GRACIOUS Defined for Kids
Learn More about gracious
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See words that rhyme with gracious Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gracious Spanish Central: Translation of gracious Nglish: Translation of gracious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gracious for Arabic speakers
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