gratify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
gratifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gratified,
past participle, past
-
gratifying
present participle
verb
-
to satisfy or please
-
to yield to or indulge (a desire, whim, etc)
-
obsolete to reward
Synonym Usage
See humor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
gratifiernoun
-
overgratifyverb (used with object)
-
pregratifyverb (used with object)
-
supergratifyverb (used with object)
-
gratifiableadjective
-
ungratifiableadjective
-
ungratifiedadjective
-
well-gratifiedadjective
-
gratifiedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
gratifysimple
-
gratifiessimple
-
have gratifiedperfect
-
has gratifiedperfect
-
am gratifyingprogressive
-
are gratifyingprogressive
-
is gratifyingprogressive
-
have been gratifyingperfect progressive
-
has been gratifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
gratifiedsimple
-
had gratifiedperfect
-
was gratifyingprogressive
-
were gratifyingprogressive
-
had been gratifyingperfect progressive
Future
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!
Vocabulary lists containing gratify
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Nothing But the Truth
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
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
To counteract the grease, you’ll want to home in on the kale-blue cheese slaw or the watermelon-feta-mint salad, a pair of sides that will gratify the palate and settle your conscience.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2022
Too often, ads are written to gratify sellers rather than bring in buyers, according to Saatchi.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2022
In his place, Lewis Cass captured the Democratic nomination by equivocating about the meaning of popular sovereignty to gratify voters in both sections.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 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
He renamed the site Hacker News, and expanded its focus to include “anything that good hackers would find interesting . . . anything that gratifies one’s intellectual curiosity.”
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 8, 2019
“This work is the one that crowns all my hopes and gratifies all my ambitions.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2019
Speaking of Temple Bar, it gratifies me to see that this venerable gateway still stands, "unshaken, unseduced, unterrified," by any of the recent attempts to effect its removal.
From My Unknown Chum by Charles Bullard Fairbanks
"We are gratified by the jury's verdict in our favor," a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
She speculates that its harsh reception may have to some degree gratified its author who, after all, “did mean to write a savage, cruel, and gloomy novel.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 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
She seemed shamelessly gratified to be escaping Ben’s presence.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
“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
He added: "It's so wonderful to see the world's love affair with the United States of America over our 250th birthday. It's been very gratifying."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The weather was gorgeous and the warmth of their friend’s large family was gratifying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
What began as a way to embellish college entrance applications has become a gratifying life experience for the teens as well as the elementary school students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
But as you rightly point out, it's rather gratifying to have consorted with him.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
