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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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 Specialized work rarely offers instant gratification, and the people who succeed are usually those who can remain focused through the frustrating early stages of learning. — Matthew Darienzo, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Trump’s preference for immediate gratification explains many of his decisions, including defunding scientific and medical research, accelerating fossil-fuel emissions, and denigrating American soft power globally. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for gratification

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratification

Noun

Complicating matters, one person’s cringe is another’s enjoyment.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Separate research from Prudential Financial recently found that more than six in 10 retirees with at least $500,000 in investable assets do not feel comfortable spending money for enjoyment.

— Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 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

As much an acknowledgment of survival as a rallying cry, the song draws out sadness as well as satisfaction from the audience.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Correspondence files can be mined for service failures—moments where the company’s response didn’t match the member’s need—that predict attrition much more accurately than any customer satisfaction survey.

— Amanda Turcotte, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of satisfaction

Noun

While some call it innovative, is there something that gets missed when the hard conversations about safety and pleasure become a digital feedback loop?

— Brittany Luse, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Neufchatel Cheese This is just diet cream cheese, for those who prefer to sacrifice the small pleasures in life.

— Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of pleasure

Noun

And listening to every chat were two experts in the science of happiness.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Most of the new songs wrestle with how to seek pleasure while remaining hyperaware of the devastations of the world, and how that tension can make happiness itself feel like a vice.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of happiness

Noun

Doing so permanently deletes all locked chats, any memories stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by the previous PIN.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The latest Netflix call underlined the growth in terms of viewers of content coming from non-English language countries.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of content

Noun

Grenada The new year marks the 150th anniversary of Spicemas, the annual August carnival in Grenada, which is known as the Spice Island due to its cultivation of nutmeg, cloves and other scented delights.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
That may not be everybody’s notion of delight, but each to his own.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 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 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gratification

noun

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