grace
[ greys ]
/ greɪs /
noun
verb (used with object), graced, grac·ing.
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.
QUIZZES
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"
"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
Idioms for grace
Origin of grace
1125–75; Middle English < Old French < Latin grātia favor, kindness, esteem, derivative of grātus pleasing
historical usage of grace
¡Gracias! Grazie! When a Spanish or Italian speaker says thanks, they are invoking one of the meanings behind the word grace. That’s because grace, gracias, and grazie all descend from the same Latin word, grātia.
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.
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 for grace
— 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 WORDS FROM grace
grace·like, adjectiveun·graced, adjectiveQuotations related to grace
- "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)
Words nearby grace
grabble, grabby, graben, gracchi, gracchus, grace, grace cup, grace note, grace period, grace-and-favor, grace-and-favour
Definition for graces (2 of 2)
Grace
[ greys ]
/ greɪs /
noun
William Russell,1832–1904, U.S. financier and shipping magnate, born in Ireland: mayor of New York City 1880–88.
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for graces
British Dictionary definitions for graces (1 of 4)
Graces
/ (ˈɡreɪsɪz) /
pl n
Greek myth three sisters, the goddesses Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, givers of charm and beauty
British Dictionary definitions for graces (2 of 4)
grace
/ (ɡreɪs) /
noun
verb
Word Origin for grace
C12: from Old French, from Latin grātia, from grātus pleasing
British Dictionary definitions for graces (3 of 4)
Grace1
/ (ɡreɪs) /
noun
(preceded by your, his, or her) a title used to address or refer to a duke, duchess, or archbishop
British Dictionary definitions for graces (4 of 4)
Grace2
/ (ɡreɪs) /
noun
W (illiam) G (ilbert). 1848–1915, English cricketer
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for graces
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.