graceless
Americanadjective
-
lacking any sense of right and wrong; depraved
-
lacking grace or excellence
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of graceless
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at grace, -less
Explanation
Someone who's graceless is awkward or uncoordinated. Graceless means without grace, by being physically clumsy or by having no manners. A graceless dancer steps on toes, and a graceless winner rubs it in. People can be graceless in their physical movements or actions, like a graceless ballet dancer who thumps heavily across the stage. Or they can be graceless in their words or behavior, like a graceless stand-up comic who isn't funny, just rude and boorish. Graceless originally meant "not in a state of grace," with grace defined as "God's love." A more modern meaning of grace is "beauty of form or movement."
Vocabulary lists containing graceless
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.
I had pulled over on the road in Pebble Beach to check an address when my left foot slid out from under me and the bike fell heavily under my graceless straddle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The musical, first staged in 1959, is loosely based on “The Princess and the Pea” fairy tale; Foster plays Princess Winnifred, a graceless minor royal who is a possible bride for a local prince.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2024
But a graceless end should not obscure DiFi’s shining accomplishments and her place in American history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023
He describes his co-star in The Piano, the American actor Harvey Keitel, as "truculent and difficult and a bit graceless".
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2023
He charged forward, throwing himself onto the log, a graceless, diving motion just as the girl swept past.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
