gratify
Americanverb (used with object)
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gratifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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gratified,
past participle, past
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gratifying
present participle
verb
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to satisfy or please
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to yield to or indulge (a desire, whim, etc)
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obsolete to reward
Synonym Usage
See humor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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gratifiernoun
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overgratifyverb (used with object)
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pregratifyverb (used with object)
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supergratifyverb (used with object)
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gratifiableadjective
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ungratifiableadjective
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ungratifiedadjective
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well-gratifiedadjective
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gratifiedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gratifysimple
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gratifiessimple
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have gratifiedperfect
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has gratifiedperfect
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am gratifyingprogressive
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are gratifyingprogressive
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is gratifyingprogressive
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have been gratifyingperfect progressive
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has been gratifyingperfect progressive
Past
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gratifiedsimple
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had gratifiedperfect
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was gratifyingprogressive
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were gratifyingprogressive
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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"
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Nothing But the Truth
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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:
Does the work you do now gratify you any differently than it did when you were starting out?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025
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
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
Levy's Lodge—that was what the sign at the coast road said—was a Xanadu of the senses; within its insulated walls there was something that could gratify anything.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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
But it’s a compliment he received from Rick Baker, a seven-time Oscar winner for special make-up effects, that most gratifies him.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2022
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
If he gratifies his ego by smashing balls with his driver, Day has gotten better by putting in the work around the greens.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2016
“You’ve seen something that gratifies you?” said Trevannion, interrogatively; “or heard it, perhaps?”
From Afloat in the Forest A Voyage among the Tree-Tops by Mayne Reid
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
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
Napoleon was so gratified that he left his place and came round the table to clink his mug against Mr. Pilkington’s before emptying it.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
Those stories may occasionally adopt the fantastical and beastly into their narratives, but at their core, they focus on love in its most fundamental, gratifying forms.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
A nomination for “Pickpocket” would be gratifying, he admits, particularly for the attention it could bring to a small independent film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
"I am very happy for finishing my journey in World Cups in a final, to play the last game in a final. That is really very gratifying," he said before the 2022 showpiece.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 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
For me, there was nothing more gratifying than being a bystander in these moments, to sit barely noticed by the people around me and witness the miracle of a girl—our girl—growing independent and whole.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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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.
