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• grace
  grace

  noun

  elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
• Grace
  Grace

  noun

  William Russell, 1832–1904, U.S. financier and shipping magnate, born in Ireland: mayor of New York City 1880–88.

grace

¹ American  

[grays] / greɪs /

noun

• graces
  plural

1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.

   We watched her skate with effortless grace across the ice.

   Synonyms:

   class, refinement, charm, attractiveness

2. a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.

   He lacked the manly graces.

3. favor or goodwill.

   Synonyms:

   benevolence, benignity, love, kindliness, kindness

4. a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior.

   It was only through the dean's grace that I wasn't expelled from school.

   Synonyms:

   charity, forgiveness

   Antonyms:

   disfavor, enmity, animosity

5. mercy; clemency; pardon.

   He was saved by an act of grace from the governor.

   Synonyms:

   reprieve, leniency, lenity

6. favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity.

7. an allowance of time after a debt or bill has become payable granted to the debtor before suit can be brought against them or a penalty applied.

   The life insurance premium is due today, but we have 31 days' grace before the policy lapses.

8. Theology.

   1. the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

   2. the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

   3. a virtue or excellence of divine origin.

      the Christian graces.

   4. Also called state of grace. the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.

9. moral strength.

   the grace to perform a duty.

10. a short prayer before or after a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given.

    Grandfather will now say grace.

11. Usually Grace a formal title used in addressing or mentioning a duke, duchess, or archbishop, and formerly also a sovereign (usually preceded by your, his, etc.).

12. Classical Mythology. Graces, the goddesses of beauty, daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, worshiped in Greece as the Charities and in Rome as the Gratiae.

13. Music. grace note.

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verb (used with object)

• graces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• graced,
  past participle,  past
• gracing
  present participle

1. to lend or add grace to; adorn.

   Many fine paintings graced the rooms of the house.

   Synonyms:

   enhance, ornament, decorate, deck, beautify, embellish

   Antonyms:

   demean, desecrate, disfigure

2. to favor or honor.

   to grace an occasion with one's presence.

   Synonyms:

   exalt, elevate, glorify

   Antonyms:

   dishonor, disrespect

idioms

1. fall from grace,

   1. Theology. to relapse into sin or disfavor.

   2. to lose favor; be discredited.

      He fell from grace when the boss found out he had lied.

2. but for the grace of God, under less fortunate circumstances.

   But for the grace of God, the brick that just fell from the roof would have hit me on the head!

3. with good grace, willingly; ungrudgingly.

   She took on the extra work with good grace.

4. with bad grace, reluctantly; grudgingly: Also with a bad grace.

   He apologized, but did so with bad grace.

5. have the grace to, to be so kind as to.

   Would you have the grace to help, please?

6. by the grace of God, thankfully; fortunately.

   By the grace of God, I won't have to deal with tax returns for another year.

7. in someone's good / bad graces, regarded with favor (or disfavor) by someone.

   It is a wonder that I have managed to stay in her good graces this long.

Grace ² American  

[grays] / greɪs /

noun

1. William Russell, 1832–1904, U.S. financier and shipping magnate, born in Ireland: mayor of New York City 1880–88.

2. a female given name.

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grace ¹ British  

/ ɡreɪs /

noun

1. elegance and beauty of movement, form, expression, or proportion

2. a pleasing or charming quality

3. goodwill or favour

4. the granting of a favour or the manifestation of goodwill, esp by a superior

5. a sense of propriety and consideration for others

6. (plural)

   1. affectation of manner (esp in the phrase airs and graces )

   2. regarded favourably and with kindness by someone

7. mercy; clemency

8. Christianity

   1. the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards man

   2. the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification

   3. the condition of being favoured or sanctified by God

   4. an unmerited gift, favour, etc, granted by God

9. a short prayer recited before or after a meal to invoke a blessing upon the food or give thanks for it

10. music a melodic ornament or decoration

11. See days of grace

12. unwillingly or grudgingly

13. willingly or cheerfully

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verb

1. (tr) to add elegance and beauty to

   flowers graced the room

2. (tr) to honour or favour

   to grace a party with one's presence

3. to ornament or decorate (a melody, part, etc) with nonessential notes

Grace ² British  

/ ɡreɪs /

noun

1. a title used to address or refer to a duke, duchess, or archbishop

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Grace ³ British  

/ ɡreɪs /

noun

1. W ( illiam ) G ( ilbert ). 1848–1915, English cricketer

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grace More Idioms  

1. see fall from grace; in someone's bad graces; in someone's good graces; saving grace; say grace; there but for the grace of god; with good grace.

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Pop Culture

— Amazing Grace: A hymn written by English clergyman John Newton, who participated in the slave trade before finding religion. — Grace: Jeff Buckley’s sole studio album, released in 1994, just three years before his early death.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gracelike
  adjective
• ungraced
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• graces
  plural

Participles

• gracing
  present
• graced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• grace
  simple
• graces
  simple
• have graced
  perfect
• has graced
  perfect
• am gracing
  progressive
• are gracing
  progressive
• is gracing
  progressive
• have been gracing
  perfect progressive
• has been gracing
  perfect progressive

Past

• graced
  simple
• had graced
  perfect
• was gracing
  progressive
• were gracing
  progressive
• had been gracing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will grace
  simple
• will have graced
  perfect
• will be gracing
  progressive
• will have been gracing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of grace

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin grātia “favor, kindness, esteem,” derivative of grātus “pleasing”

Explanation

Grace commonly refers to a smooth and pleasing way of moving, or a polite and thoughtful way of behaving. But when someone says they were late to the airport and only made it onto their plane by the grace of God, they're talking about grace in the context of God's favor. "Social graces" are the skills needed for being polite, and if you are "in someone's good graces," they regard you with favor. In Middle English, the word grace originally meant "God's favor or help," a sense that we still use today. The related word gracious originally meant "filled with God's favor or help." Grace was borrowed from Old French, from Latin gratia, "pleasing quality, favor, thanks," from gratus, "pleasing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grace Grace graces graced gracing

That is what the Kennedy Center was named for: a president who dreamed of a country unafraid of beauty, unafraid of grace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

There are plenty of people who can be blamed for Merlot’s fall from grace.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“I hope you understand that life changing experiences can shift your perspective and that you’re able to extend a little more grace to others moving forward. Have a nice day!”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

"She handled this fame with such grace and love and gratitude," she added.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Amy is with truth considered ‘the flower of the family’, for at sixteen she has the air and bearing of a full-grown woman, not beautiful, but possessed of that indescribable charm called grace.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

At the same time, British designer Grace Wales Bonner will make her runway debut as artistic director of Hermes menswear.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

“I think our generation is the first generation to feel comfortable, just straight up being like, ‘Yeah, I need money for a house, like I can’t afford it,’” said Anna Grace Nimmo, 26 years old.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

“People want to have so much assurance that the other person is going to say yes before they do anything,” says Grace Lee, a New York City-based dating coach and matchmaker.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Residents living near Wheeler and Bonita avenues were ordered to evacuate, while shelter-in-place orders were issued at Grace Miller Elementary and Bonita High schools, according to the La Verne Police Department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

I’ll get to play Grace day and night, perfecting my skills.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

At the time, the organization was engaged in rehabilitating its image and getting back into Hollywood’s good graces.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

It’s going to be easier for people who messed up on their taxes to get back in the good graces of the IRS.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

A large mural of Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan in the 1921 film “The Kid” graces the front of a prominent building in Cannes.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

Murray hired a personal trainer, then “beseeched Roosevelt for a repeat invitation. The apologia and commitment” brought Murray back into Roosevelt’s good graces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

The discovery of carbon-14 was the high water mark of Kamen s career in the Rad Lab; its publication was the beginning of his painful journey out of Lawrence’s good graces.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Over the years, many weird and wonderfully shaped balloons have graced the skies - some of which have made regular appearances at balloon festivals in the UK and around the world.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

She graced the stage at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, and never looked back.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Other Canadians have graced the Eurovision stage: Annie Cotton represented Switzerland in 1993 with "Moi, Tout Simplement", finishing third -- the last French-language song to finish in the top three until 2021.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Bing Crosby graced the reopening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

The lofty Hall of Ancestors was festooned with holiday banners and graced with clansmen from near and far.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

But Bulgaria is not the only country to have claims on Samuel, with a huge statue of the tsar gracing the North Macedonian capital Skopje.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Having risked his neck twice, and now struggling with a slipped disk, Alsop has vowed not to race again - but he is certain more YouTubers will be gracing Cooper's Hill again this Monday.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

After she found out that the star would be gracing the Super Bowl stage, she posted a video of herself trying to master his lyrics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

The clubbers still gracing the doors aren't as loose with their cash as they used to be.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

For despite the red carnations in bud vases gracing each booth, despite the zebra-striped menus, matchbooks, and napkins, the Zebra Room itself was empty.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• agility
• beauty
• decency
• decorum
• dexterity
• dignity
• ease
• elegance
• finesse
• poise
• refinement
• style