gracious

adjective

gra·cious | \ ˈgrā-shəs

Definition of gracious

1a obsolete : godly

b archaic : pleasing, acceptable

2a : marked by kindness and courtesy a gracious host

b : graceful

c : marked by tact and delicacy : urbane

d : 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

Other Words from gracious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about gracious

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Choose the Right Synonym for gracious

gracious, cordial, affable, genial, sociable mean markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse. gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration. the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues cordial stresses warmth and heartiness. our host was cordial as he greeted us affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals. though wealthy, she was affable to all genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality. a genial companion with a ready quip sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others. sociable people who enjoy entertaining

Examples of gracious in a Sentence

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 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, 15 Nov. 1951, in The Groucho Letters, 1987 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 Thank you for your gracious hospitality. The magazine promotes gracious living.

Recent Examples on the Web

My father was gracious, full of pep—in his element. — Jessica Soffer, Vogue, "How My Artist Father—and A Bad Haircut—Led To A Personal Reinvention," 11 Sep. 2018 There's something gracious and grand about the way the entrance is set up. — Lisa Cregan, House Beautiful, "Designing a Modern, Dramatic House," 29 May 2014 Like any true Southern girl, Trisha is gracious and modest about the success of her first book, not to mention her own cooking chops. — Lori Berger, Redbook, "Trisha Yearwood's Home Cooking," 18 Mar. 2010 The bartenders are snappy and gracious, corralled within a large sunken square, and the glassware feels… familiar. — Steven Stolman, Town & Country, "A Clear-Eyed Assessment of the New Four Seasons—By Someone Who Loved the Old One," 7 Sep. 2018 Of course, unlike me, Gaga was gracious enough to blow kisses to her fellow commuters along the way. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Lady Gaga’s Boat Ride to Venice Film Festival Was An Inspiring Level of Extra," 30 Aug. 2018 Cole Varga, executive director of Exodus, said Mohamed has been gracious about volunteering his time. — Maureen C. Gilmer, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis man lived refugee story: 'These people ... they are running for their lives'," 20 June 2018 Marina is gracious and accommodating almost to a fault, both to the insidiously subtle kinds of judgment and the more outward violence and hatred. — NBC News, "Film review: A star is born in Oscar-nominee 'A Fantastic Woman'," 31 Jan. 2018 Murphy, who campaigned as the anti-Christie both in style and substance, was gracious toward his predecessor, praising his leadership in fighting the opioid epidemic and thanking him for his public service. — Andrew Seidman, Philly.com, "N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy vows to resist Trump's 'assault on our values'," 16 Jan. 2018

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.