Word of the Day

: August 13, 2009

ingratiate

verb in-GRAY-shee-ayt

What It Means

: to gain favor or favorable acceptance for by deliberate effort -- usually used with "with"

ingratiate in Context

Even though the candidate is doing everything he can to ingratiate himself with voters, he still finds himself trailing in the polls.

Did You Know?

Seventeenth-century English speakers combined the Latin noun "gratia," meaning "grace" or "favor," with the English prefix "in-" to create the verb "ingratiate." When you ingratiate yourself, you are putting yourself in someone's good graces to gain their approval or favor. English words related to "ingratiate" include "gratis" and "gratuity." Both of these reflect something done or given as a favor through the good graces of the giver.