GRATIFICATION Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

gratification

noun

ˌgra-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən

Definition of gratification

as in enjoyment

the feeling experienced when one's wishes are met eating good chocolate gives me a sense of intense gratification

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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 gratification The film leaves a viewer with authentic consolations and gratifications in the rearview mirror that seemed harder to discern while moving ahead into the unknown with the sun in one’s eyes. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2026 Everyone is a performer, everyone is chasing fame and attention and gratification for their output maybe more than ever. — Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 17 Aug. 2026 Yes, gratification cannot and should not be instant in every scenario. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026 In today’s world of instant gratification and online spending, helping children understand how to create and stick to a budget is more important than ever. — Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gratification

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratification

Noun

Starting with a scene that feels real and looks real lets McKeown get away with what is otherwise a silly creature feature, elongated but never past the point of enjoyment.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.

— Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of enjoyment

Noun

The series will explore what constitutes happiness in different cultures and show the travelers — and viewers — different approaches to contentment.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Yet as related here in the low-key delivery of someone who not just survived but lived to be 101 years old, Jaku was able to enjoy the love, peace, contentment and security he was denied in his youth.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of contentment

Noun

During execution, every detail matters and there is real satisfaction in watching the pieces come together and helping translate a founder’s hopes and dreams into reality.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Innova also associates afternoon snacking specifically with satisfaction, while other dayparts lean toward refreshment or indulgence.

— Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of satisfaction

Noun

These novels are puzzles at their core, and using logic to solve the mystery before it’s revealed in the book is, to me, the main pleasure in reading them.

— New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Stanton’s confession ends up being incomprehensible to anyone but himself—an irony that McCarthy, with his partiality for secret codes, seems to take great pleasure in.

— Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pleasure

Noun

And a high degree of social fitness contributes to a longer, healthier and more fulfilled life, according to an ongoing 88-year-old Harvard University happiness study.

— Renée Onque, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
And the key to finding the joy and happiness balance is no more than 10 days away from my wife and kids.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of happiness

Noun

This is multi-year partnership, so content offering will continue to expand.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
If Skydance increases spending on content, that could push its competitors to also invest more, Laurent Yoon, senior analyst at the research and brokerage firm Bernstein, told me.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of content

Noun

Leaving aside the comics, tie-books, video games, and other ancillary delights of exploiting successful IP, there’s the Netflix show, of course.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Once a farrier's shop, Bygones Cocktail Bar, centered on a horseshoe bar, has romantic lighting, cocktails executed with joy and delight, and a laissez-faire atmosphere.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of delight

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grates

gratification

gratified

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“Gratification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratification. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gratification

noun

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