gracefully

American

[greys-fuh-lee] / ˈgreɪs fə li /

adverb

in a way characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech.

She is as strong and fit as one of those gracefully sleek and beautiful racehorses you see galloping toward the finish line.
It's wise to coach children on how to gracefully handle being presented with an unwanted gift.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

nongracefully

adverb

Etymology

Origin of gracefully

graceful ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Because M88 is viewed at an angle from Earth, the galaxy appears stretched out, with its spiral structure gracefully spreading across space.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026

Cartoon Network evolved more gracefully from a retro-animation platform into a cultural tastemaker by way of Adult Swim.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

Yet on balance, the New Museum has achieved something astonishing: It has gracefully and imaginatively added to its original building without compromising its exquisite sculptural quality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

After competitions, Gu is the one every media outlet wants to speak to, and she gracefully and politely obliges as she slowly shuffles through the mixed zone.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

At once, Katie rose into the air, not as Ron had done, suspended comically by the ankle, but gracefully, her arms oustretched, as though she was about to fly.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023