graceful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of graceful
A late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at grace, -ful
Explanation
Use the adjective graceful to describe movements that are lovely and elegant. If you watch a yoga class, you'll see a variety of styles, ranging from awkward to graceful. Were some people born graceful? From their elegant way they move to their great timing and well-chosen words, being graceful does seem to come naturally to some. For others, it comes with practice and being focused. For example, the discipline of ballet makes dancers graceful — even when reaching for something on a high shelf at the grocery store.
Vocabulary lists containing graceful
Power Suffix: -ful
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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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A Single Shard
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That may explain why this creature of the theater who was so graceful leading an orchestra and so enjoyed talking to the audience turned stiff and awkward when bowing to acknowledged applause.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
The president’s house is a graceful but relatively modest structure.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Ordinary Iranians have "an amazing culture of graceful kindness and absolute generosity", she said.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Tuesday, OpenAI announced it was abandoning its video-production aspirations, giving Disney a graceful exit until the next model storms the castle.
From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026
In the daylight he sometimes appeared awkward, but now there was something almost graceful about him.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
