ingratiate

American  

[in-grey-shee-eyt] / ɪnˈgreɪ ʃiˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

ingratiated, ingratiating

1. to establish (oneself or another person) in the favor or good graces of someone, especially by deliberate effort (usually followed bywith ).

   He ingratiated himself with all the guests.

   She ingratiated her colleagues with her well-researched project proposal.

---

ingratiate British  

/ ɪnˈɡreɪʃɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. to place (oneself) purposely in the favour (of another)

---

Other Word Forms

• ingratiating adjective
• ingratiatingly adverb
• ingratiation noun
• ingratiatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of ingratiate

First recorded in 1615–25; perhaps from Latin in grātiam “into favor,” after Italian ingraziare; in, grace, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

To investigators in the U.K., what’s glaring instead is that his ingratiating friends leaked privileged financial information to the former banker that he might have parlayed into insider-trading gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

Oil companies have ingratiated themselves to investors since the pandemic by doing the exact opposite: ruling out expensive investments in new drilling in favor of spending that money on bigger dividends.

From Barron's

He made the most of this connection, flying the Welsh flag and ingratiating himself with locals, who fell for the charms of "this lovely man".

From BBC

At first, this is thought to have ingratiated the group with some locals - but this was short-lived.

From BBC

Her notes outline plans to found an international bank, buy a Swedish castle, and even to ingratiate herself with a British duke.

From BBC

Related Words

• flatter