grace 1 of 2

1
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance in Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables, Jean Valjean's decision to go to jail for the man mistaken for him is a grace that goes beyond thanks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in advantage
a quality that gives something special worth as if taste were not enough, red wine has the added grace of being healthy for the heart

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grace

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun grace differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of grace are charity, clemency, leniency, and mercy. While all these words mean "a disposition to show kindness or compassion," grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions.

by the grace of God

When is charity a more appropriate choice than grace?

In some situations, the words charity and grace are roughly equivalent. However, charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others.

show a little charity for the less fortunate

When is it sensible to use clemency instead of grace?

While in some cases nearly identical to grace, clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing.

the judge refused to show clemency

In what contexts can leniency take the place of grace?

While the synonyms leniency and grace are close in meaning, leniency implies lack of severity in punishing.

criticized the courts for excessive leniency

When might mercy be a better fit than grace?

The words mercy and grace can be used in similar contexts, but mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

threw himself on the mercy of the court

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of grace
Noun
The collection was designed with the grace of ballet in mind, continuing to build on Louboutin’s passion for dance, which has been a source of inspiration for him since his days as an intern at Les Folies Bergère in Paris. Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025 Trump looks like Netanyahu blindsided him, Netanyahu is forced to apologize, and Qatar restores Israel to its lukewarm graces. Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Just one month after gracing the cover of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, Thomas has officially announced his next musical project, PHOLKS. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025 October Magic® Ivory™ Camellia from the Southern Living Plant Collection is among the earliest camellias to bloom, gracing the garden with creamy white, fully double blooms from September through October. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grace
Noun
  • But thanks to a free tool called Love Lost and the kindness of a good neighbor, Louie is back home safe and sound.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • For her kindness and friendship, for her humour and irrepressible enthusiasm, for her curiosity, for her courage, and for her profound love of animals.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Pushing the boundaries of these materials Beyond their scientific elegance, MOFs are incredibly promising for real-world technologies.
    Stavroula Alina Kampouri, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Each towel is designed with a dobby border that adds a touch of elegance and luxury.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One major advantage of developing artificial intelligence in China lies in the availability of large, high-quality datasets, particularly coming from hospitals that are often willing to share medical information for research purposes.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Who is looking strongest for these next three races/who has the advantage beyond just points standings?
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There was Tracy Rocker, who won the Outland Trophy as an Auburn defensive lineman and was a Georgia assistant from 2014-16, taking his team into Jordan-Hare even when a mural of him adorned that very stadium.
    Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Because the bookshelves were adorned with busts of the early Roman emperors, individual volumes were identified by the emperor whose bust stood above them (Julius Caesar was treated as the first emperor and two female figures, Cleopatra and the empress Faustina, were also included).
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The adolescent protagonist soon finds himself at the mercy of his imperious uncle, who puts his nephew out on the street for missing a midnight curfew, of which poor Karl was quite unaware.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Combs begs for mercy Combs addressed the court before Judge Subramanian imposed his sentence, pleading for a second chance.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Autumn Perkins, who lives in Middletown, Ohio, visited a Starbucks location inside Kroger and run by Kroger to order the mint majesty with two honeys.
    Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Photographers interested in capturing the majesty of the night sky should read our roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But an important distinction that also remains murky is input versus output.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The key distinction is that those founders built wealth by focusing on increasing the value of their existing equity stakes, while taking minimal or no compensation, rather than seeking massive equity grants on top of their founder stakes, said Hoffmann.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Look to flea market finds to decorate with your harvest bounty.
    Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Students took on more responsibility, leading cultural celebrations and decorating school halls.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grace. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on grace

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!