gratify

American  

[grat-uh-fahy] / ˈgræt əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

gratified, gratifying

1. to give pleasure to (a person or persons) by satisfying desires or humoring inclinations or feelings.

   Her praise will gratify all who worked so hard to earn it.

   Synonyms:

   gladden , delight , please

2. to satisfy; indulge; humor, as one's desires or appetites.

3. Obsolete.  to reward; remunerate.

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gratify British  

/ ˈɡrætɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to satisfy or please

2. to yield to or indulge (a desire, whim, etc)

3. obsolete  to reward

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Related Words

See humor.

Other Word Forms

• gratifiable adjective
• gratifiedly adverb
• gratifier noun
• overgratify verb (used with object)
• pregratify verb (used with object)
• supergratify verb (used with object)
• ungratifiable adjective
• ungratified adjective
• well-gratified adjective

Etymology

Origin of gratify

1350–1400; Middle English gratifien < Latin grātificāre, equivalent to grāt ( us ) pleasing + -i- -i- + -ficāre -fy

Example Sentences

When I asked El-Erian about the Fed, I was gratified to hear him address one of my pet peeves: the dim-bulb types who proudly declare themselves to be data-dependent, full stop.

From Barron's

When I asked El-Erian about the Fed, I was gratified to hear him address one of my pet peeves: the dim-bulb types who proudly declare themselves to be data-dependent, full stop.

From Barron's

It’s gratifying that it means that to so many people.”

From Los Angeles Times

Woolley and Hood surely would be gratified by the Preservation Commission’s finding:

From The Wall Street Journal

“The same group of people, the same kind of night, 30 years later. I feel incredibly gratified by that.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• delight
• enchant
• please
• thrill