gravitate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move or tend to move under the influence of gravitational force.
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to tend toward the lowest level; sink; fall.
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to have a natural tendency or be strongly attracted (usually followed by to ortoward ).
Musicians gravitate toward one another.
verb
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physics to move under the influence of gravity
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to be influenced or drawn, as by strong impulses
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to sink or settle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gravitatesimple
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gravitatessimple
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have gravitatedperfect
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has gravitatedperfect
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am gravitatingprogressive
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are gravitatingprogressive
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is gravitatingprogressive
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have been gravitatingperfect progressive
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has been gravitatingperfect progressive
Past
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gravitatedsimple
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had gravitatedperfect
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was gravitatingprogressive
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were gravitatingprogressive
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had been gravitatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gravitate
First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin gravitātus (past participle of gravitāre “to obey the laws of gravitation,” coined by Sir Isaac Newton ); see gravity, -ate 1
Explanation
To gravitate is to move toward or feel attracted to something. People gravitate toward things they like. Gravitate used to refer to how gravity pulls objects toward the Earth, but now it also describes how people are pulled toward things they like. Little kids gravitate towards playgrounds, someone athletic will gravitate toward sports, and someone with a nice voice might gravitate toward a singing career. Dogs gravitate toward squirrels — they move toward them whenever they have a chance. But don’t blame gravity for that one!
Vocabulary lists containing gravitate
Good Grief!: Grav, Griev
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"Simplexity," Vocabulary from the science writing
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Stargirl
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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.
"He's a magnet, people just gravitate towards him," Maria says.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
“More broadly, competing against futures is not new for Cboe, and options have steadily been taking share from futures over time as investors gravitate towards the asymmetric upside potential and defined downside.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
But the same demographic was the first to gravitate to streaming platforms and abandon traditional TV which thrives on appointment viewing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
In research conducted with Minneapolis Fed economist Abigail Wozniak, she has found that men tend to gravitate toward higher-stakes nursing jobs, such as working in intensive-care units.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
There is no single answer to why so many gay men gravitate to the theater, but one of the best explanations is that their artistic contributions are essential to theater’s success.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
