gratify

American  

[grat-uh-fahy] / ˈgræt əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

• gratifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gratified,
  past participle,  past
• gratifying
  present participle

1. to give pleasure to (a person or persons) by satisfying desires or humoring inclinations or feelings.

   Her praise will gratify all who worked so hard to earn it.

   Synonyms:

   gladden, delight, please

2. to satisfy; indulge; humor, as one's desires or appetites.

3. Obsolete. to reward; remunerate.

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gratify British  

/ ˈɡrætɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to satisfy or please

2. to yield to or indulge (a desire, whim, etc)

3. obsolete to reward

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Synonym Usage

See humor.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gratifier
  noun
• overgratify
  verb (used with object)
• pregratify
  verb (used with object)
• supergratify
  verb (used with object)
• gratifiable
  adjective
• ungratifiable
  adjective
• ungratified
  adjective
• well-gratified
  adjective
• gratifiedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• gratifying
  present
• gratified
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gratify
  simple
• gratifies
  simple
• have gratified
  perfect
• has gratified
  perfect
• am gratifying
  progressive
• are gratifying
  progressive
• is gratifying
  progressive
• have been gratifying
  perfect progressive
• has been gratifying
  perfect progressive

Past

• gratified
  simple
• had gratified
  perfect
• was gratifying
  progressive
• were gratifying
  progressive
• had been gratifying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gratify
  simple
• will have gratified
  perfect
• will be gratifying
  progressive
• will have been gratifying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gratify

1350–1400; Middle English gratifien < Latin grātificāre, equivalent to grāt ( us ) pleasing + -i- -i- + -ficāre -fy

Explanation

To gratify is to satisfy. Bringing home an A in math would gratify your math tutor. Gratify can also mean to give in. You probably shouldn't gratify your urge to scream in class. Gratify comes from the Latin gratificari, "oblige," and gratus, "pleasing." The word still carries those meanings. Gratify always takes an object, so you have to gratify something or someone. Gratifying praise will make you feel good about all the work you put in on your science project. Gratify your thirst for vocabulary by using this word correctly!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gratify gratifies gratified gratifying

Finding the least taxing way to activate your inner circle could gratify — and edify — all involved, and restore a sense of control over your own well-being.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2022

But it’s the houses that surprise visitors and gratify us, even if they can only be glimpsed from a sidewalk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2022

Too often, ads are written to gratify sellers rather than bring in buyers, according to Saatchi.

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2022

But that's not saying much, most of them neutered themselves by kowtowing to him from the get-go in order to gratify their personal desires and enrich themselves.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2018

“Oh, I will go by all means,” I answered: and I was glad of the unexpected opportunity to gratify my much-excited curiosity.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

This outcome is rare in the contemporary dating scene, but “Heated Rivalry” gratifies the hope that such a future is possible.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2026

Eating gratifies all the senses: We take in the aroma of a handsome dish, delight at the sound of a sizzling steak or crave the crunch of a crusty baguette.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2023

We're not in the same sport exactly, but it's the same milieu, and the fact that tour players know who I am and respect what I do gratifies me to no end.

From Golf Digest ● Nov. 13, 2018

Because it gratifies a craving for Frenchitude—for a stereotypical cinematic blend of freewheeling possibility and sociable leisure, of loose emotional indulgence protected by official institutions.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 23, 2016

It saves them the trouble of thinking; it gratifies their ill-humour, and keeps off ennui!

From Winterslow Essays and Characters Written There by William Hazlitt

But they can’t see what I remember when I hold it: cymbals timed correctly during the performance, a gratified nod from the conductor after weeks of botching it in rehearsal.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Conservatives in the Western Hemisphere have been gratified by the center-right sweep in Latin American presidential elections since 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

"I don't know whether to feel gratified by the vindication or annoyed by the amount of time I wasted in pointing out that the numbers were clearly wrong," he says.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

But he’s also been gratified to see the excitement among younger fans regarding what he views as the Beach Boys’ last great album.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

He was gratified to see Constance lean out and catch it.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

She says she's been treated like a celebrity at school and in town this week and finds it particularly gratifying when she's congratulated by young, up-and-coming competitors in the sport.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

“I mean, it’s amazing, and it’s really gratifying too. It’s nice to know that you’re doing a business that’s really helping people.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

It was gratifying to get to build to that with everybody.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

So it was gratifying to see Lane receive his due from Mantello, who upon accepting his award for directing credited Lane with being the inspiration for the production.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

It was a very small but very gratifying triumph.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• delight
• enchant
• please
• thrill