grace
- elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action: We watched her skate with effortless grace across the ice.
- a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment: He lacked the manly graces.
- favor or goodwill.
- a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior: It was only through the dean's grace that I wasn't expelled from school.
- mercy; clemency; pardon: He was saved by an act of grace from the governor.
- favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity.
- an allowance of time after a debt or bill has become payable granted to the debtor before suit can be brought against him or her or a penalty applied: The life insurance premium is due today, but we have 31 days' grace before the policy lapses.Compare grace period.
- Theology.
- the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
- the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
- a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces.
- Also called state of grace.the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.
- moral strength: the grace to perform a duty.
- a short prayer before or after a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given: Grandfather will now say grace.
- (usually initial capital letter) a formal title used in addressing or mentioning a duke, duchess, or archbishop, and formerly also a sovereign (usually preceded by your, his, etc.).
- Graces, Classical Mythology. the goddesses of beauty, daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, worshiped in Greece as the Charities and in Rome as the Gratiae.
- Music. grace note.
- to lend or add grace to; adorn: Many fine paintings graced the rooms of the house.
- to favor or honor: to grace an occasion with one's presence.
- 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!
- by the grace of God, thankfully; fortunately: By the grace of God, I won't have to deal with tax returns for another year.
- fall from grace,
- Theology.to relapse into sin or disfavor.
- to lose favor; be discredited: He fell from grace when the boss found out he had lied.
- have the grace to, to be so kind as to: Would you have the grace to help, please?
- 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.
- with bad grace, reluctantly; grudgingly: He apologized, but did so with bad grace.Also with a bad grace.
- with good grace, willingly; ungrudgingly: She took on the extra work with good grace.
Origin of grace
Word story
For the ancient Romans, grātia had three distinct meanings: (1) a pleasing quality, (2) favor or goodwill, and (3) gratitude or thanks. We find all three of these meanings in modern-day English. The first when we describe someone as having (or not having) grace: “Dancing, she had all the grace of an elephant on skates.” The second when we talk about giving or getting grace: “by the grace of God.” And the third when we say grace (i.e., “thanks”) at a meal.
So if you have something to be grateful for, you can say thank-you, grātia, gracias, or grazie. Just make sure you don’t give that something a coup de grâce.
Popular references
— 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.
- "When a person expends the least amount of motion on one action, that is grace."-Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Complete Works and Letters in Thirty Volumes, Letters, vol. 8, p. 11, “Nauka” (1976)
- "When a clergyman is present, he is asked to say grace, often after everyone is seated. But in the case of a friend, he should be asked in advance if he would like to say grace."-Nancy Tuckerman & Nancy Dunnan The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette (1995)
Grace
- William Russell,1832–1904, U.S. financier and shipping magnate, born in Ireland: mayor of New York City 1880–88.
- a female given name.
Related Words for graces
dignity, agility, finesse, beauty, dexterity, ease, poise, elegance, refinement, style, decency, decorum, love, tenderness, compassion, generosity, goodness, kindness, bedeck, decorateExamples from the Web for graces
Contemporary Examples of graces
Later, back in the graces of the French crown, he was appointed commander of the Missouri and built Fort Orleans in 1723.
He knows his furniture, each of his trees, every log in his cabin—faults and graces—all on a personal basis.
He was charming, diffident but above all very friendly, with no airs or graces.
But 2013 marks the changing of the guard, as actress Kerry Washington graces the August issue.
Kate Upton graces one side holding ducklings – and a second cover depicts a little girl holding a baby and laughing.
Historical Examples of graces
He has clothed the Graces, though the Graces never clothed him.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
The Graces were often worshipped in the same temple with the Muses.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
His keen eyes had perceived Mary Turner's graces of form, her loveliness of face.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
Around them was a radiance of virtues and graces from the first hour of their meeting.
The DreamEmile Zola
Only see that it combines the graces of comfort and becomingness.
A Woman TenderfootGrace Gallatin Seton-Thompson
Graces
- Greek myth three sisters, the goddesses Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, givers of charm and beauty
grace
- elegance and beauty of movement, form, expression, or proportion
- a pleasing or charming quality
- goodwill or favour
- the granting of a favour or the manifestation of goodwill, esp by a superior
- a sense of propriety and consideration for others
- (plural)
- affectation of manner (esp in the phrase airs and graces)
- in someone's good gracesregarded favourably and with kindness by someone
- mercy; clemency
- Christianity
- the free and unmerited favour of God shown towards man
- the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification
- the condition of being favoured or sanctified by God
- an unmerited gift, favour, etc, granted by God
- a short prayer recited before or after a meal to invoke a blessing upon the food or give thanks for it
- music a melodic ornament or decoration
- See days of grace
- with bad grace or with a bad grace unwillingly or grudgingly
- with good grace or with a good grace willingly or cheerfully
- (tr) to add elegance and beauty toflowers graced the room
- (tr) to honour or favourto grace a party with one's presence
- to ornament or decorate (a melody, part, etc) with nonessential notes
Word Origin for grace
Grace
1- (preceded by your, his, or her) a title used to address or refer to a duke, duchess, or archbishop
Grace
2- W (illiam) G (ilbert). 1848–1915, English cricketer
Word Origin and History for graces
Grace
fem. proper name, literally "favor, grace;" see grace (n.).
grace
c.1200, "to thank," from Old French gracier, from grace (see grace (n.)). Meaning "to show favor" (mid-15c.) led to that of "to lend or add grace to something" (1580s, e.g. grace us with your presence), which is the root of the musical sense in grace notes (1650s). Related: Graced; gracing.
grace
late 12c., "God's favor or help," from Old French grace "pardon, divine grace, mercy; favor, thanks; elegance, virtue" (12c.), from Latin gratia "favor, esteem, regard; pleasing quality, good will, gratitude" (source of Italian grazia, Spanish gracia), from gratus "pleasing, agreeable," from PIE root *gwere- "to favor" (cf. Sanskrit grnati "sings, praises, announces," Lithuanian giriu "to praise, celebrate," Avestan gar- "to praise").
Sense of "virtue" is early 14c., that of "beauty of form or movement, pleasing quality" is mid-14c. In classical sense, "one of the three sister goddesses (Latin Gratiæ, Greek Kharites), bestowers of beauty and charm," it is first recorded in English 1579 in Spenser. The short prayer that is said before or after a meal (early 13c.; until 16c. usually graces) has a sense of "gratitude."
Graces
Greek and Roman goddesses of loveliness and charm. According to most stories, there were three of them. They were supposed to be invited to every banquet.
Idioms and Phrases with graces
grace
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.