gratify

verb grat·i·fy \ ˈgra-tə-ˌfī \

Definition of gratify

gratified; gratifying

transitive verb

1 archaic :remunerate, reward

2 :to be a source of or give pleasure or satisfaction to

it gratified him to have his wife wear jewels
—Willa Cather

3 :to give in to :indulge, satisfy

gratify a whim

See gratify defined for English-language learners

See gratify defined for kids

Examples of gratify in a Sentence

A guilty verdict would gratify the victim's relatives.
He's only concerned with gratifying his own desires.

Recent Examples of gratify from the Web

As gratifying as the Civil War win was for Oregon State fans, the Beavers had their most dominant start-to-finish performance against Arizona last season.

— OregonLive.com, "Upsets, toughest tests and record predictions: A look at the Oregon State football schedule," 23 Aug. 2017
First, because goals like stress reduction are so clear, attainable, and gratifying, many people now sing the praises of meditation—which deeply annoys some people who don’t.

— robert wright, WIRED, "Is Mindfulness Meditation BS?," 12 Aug. 2017
Returning the robe to its homeland has been gratifying for Sara Jacobsen and her parents Bruce and Gretchen.

— author: tamara ikenberg, Alaska Dispatch News, "Thanks to a culturally conscious teen, a rare Chilkat robe returns to Alaska," 11 Aug. 2017
There was something so gratifying about painting on the gray thickening primer in step 1, and then coating on the inky black mascara in step 2 that was packed with lots of little fibers that made my lashes look longer and more lush.

— loni venti, Cosmopolitan, "I Tried Over 50 Drugstore Mascaras and These Are the 10 Best," 9 Aug. 2017
The announcement was initially met with excitement by riders eager to gratify their late-night munchies.

— eric larson, Fortune, "Lyft’s New Taco Bell Promo Stinks Worse Than an Old Burrito," 1 Aug. 2017
Everybody knows something is going on with this year’s baseballs, and fans at Oriole Park got a look at the supposedly juiced ball in action Saturday, though not in a way that was particularly gratifying.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Home run balls bounce Dylan Bundy early in Orioles' 10-3 loss to Rays," 1 July 2017
Twincer theorists will be gratified by confirmation that Alex was indeed the person meeting Wren at the airport a few episodes ago.

— eliza thompson, Cosmopolitan, "Pretty Little Liars Finally Revealed the Identity of Uber A," 28 June 2017
Along with contributing to its communities through a host of charitable endeavors, providing exceptional service to its clients and users has also been extremely gratifying for its employees.

— kelsey butler, Indianapolis Star, "How HomeAdvisor is building the foundation for growth," 26 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

A gratifying experience is quietly pleasing or satisfying. But gratifying an impulse means giving in to it, which isn't always such a good idea, and "instant gratification" of every desire will result in a life based on junk food and worse. Truly gratifying experiences and accomplishments usually are the result of time and effort.