ingratiate
verb
William Attwood
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When you ingratiate yourself, you put yourself in someone’s good graces in order to gain their approval or favor. While the word ingratiate does not necessarily imply that your behavior is obsequious or otherwise improper, the word may be used disapprovingly by those who distrust your motives. The word entered English in the early 1600s from the combining of the Latin noun gratia, meaning “grace” or “favor,” with the English prefix in-. Gratia comes from the adjective gratus, meaning “pleasing, grateful.” Gratus has, over the centuries, ingratiated itself well with the English language as the ancestor of a whole host of words including gratuitous, congratulate, and grace.
Examples of ingratiate in a Sentence
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025
These words can help ingratiate you into local culture and fire up rapid camaraderie.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Xavier, whose motives are unknown, gets a job as assistant to the play’s director and ingratiates himself with her and Max, each of whom has begun to express concern, as previews draw near, about the quality of the narrator’s performance.
—Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
But before that, Rick ingratiates himself with Sritala, pretending to be a movie producer as an excuse to spend time with her in Bangkok — and, more importantly, to secure time with her husband Jim.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ingratiate
Cite this Entry
“Ingratiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratiate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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ingratiate
verb
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