gracious
Americanadjective
-
pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.
- Antonyms:
- churlish
-
characterized by good taste, comfort, ease, or luxury: a gracious home.
gracious suburban living;
a gracious home.
-
indulgent or beneficent in a pleasantly condescending way, especially to inferiors.
-
merciful or compassionate.
our gracious king.
- Antonyms:
- cruel
-
Obsolete. fortunate or happy.
interjection
adjective
-
characterized by or showing kindness and courtesy
-
condescendingly courteous, benevolent, or indulgent
-
characterized by or suitable for a life of elegance, ease, and indulgence
gracious living
gracious furnishings
-
merciful or compassionate
-
obsolete fortunate, prosperous, or happy
interjection
Related Words
See kind 1.
Other Word Forms
- graciosity noun
- graciously adverb
- graciousness noun
- nongraciosity noun
- nongracious adjective
- overgracious adjective
- quasi-gracious adjective
Etymology
Origin of gracious
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English gracious, from Old French, from Latin grātiōsus “amiable,” equivalent to grāti(a) “favor, kindness, esteem” + -ōsus adjective suffix; grace, -ous
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.
“The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
“People are so gracious to us and welcoming us and thanking us for coming — and then apologizing.”
From Los Angeles Times
"The family has been nothing but co-operative and gracious and are victims in this case," said the Pima County Sheriff's Office, which has been leading the investigation.
From BBC
“The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.”
When Sweden wins, Savolainen is a gracious loser, her fiancée said.
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.
