ingratiate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ingratiate
First recorded in 1615–25; perhaps from Latin in grātiam “into favor,” after Italian ingraziare; see in, grace, -ate 1
Explanation
To ingratiate is to make obvious efforts to gain someone's favor, in other words — to kiss up to someone. Ingratiate has not strayed much from its Latin roots, in gratiam, (in plus gratia meaning "favor") which means "in favor" or "for the favor of." To ingratiate is to gain the favor of someone by doing lots of favors to the point of being a nudge. Like the teacher's pet who answers every question, stays after class to clean the chalkboard, and brings the teacher an apple every day. When you ingratiate yourself to people, you risk annoying them — like a little dog nipping at their heels.
Vocabulary lists containing ingratiate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
The Great Gatsby
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!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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:
Ross, meanwhile, is trying to ingratiate himself with and improve the local community by funding scholarships for hundreds of local public high-school students to attend a nearby community college.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Hatton had unsuccessfully tried to befriend the old place on nine previous visits and, after starting with a two-over par 74 on Thursday, finally managed to ingratiate himself on Friday.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
During their first meeting as part of a new company-wide mentorship program, Samuel matches Romy’s slippery intensity, and his reluctance to ingratiate himself intrigues her.
From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2024
Those moments all trace back to Ohtani’s ability to ingratiate himself with his new teammates this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2024
Libya—Mu’ammar Gadhafi was attempting to ingratiate himself with the United States and couldn’t take the chance of antagonizing President Bush.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
El Dorado is controlled by a gangster known only by his first name, Fabio, a Pablo Escobar-type character who has ingratiated himself with locals through acts of charity.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
A 2022 Times investigation detailed how Bloom ingratiated himself with regulars at the Frolic Room bar and residents of the Villa Carlotta apartment complex in Hollywood by projecting an aura of wealth and status.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
Ferrety and clean-shaven, Zanjani never served in the military, but he ingratiated himself with the Revolutionary Guard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Barry Keoghan sported a similarly spangled jacket over a mesh tank top, looking not too different than his “Saltburn” character did when he ingratiated himself with the nobility.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
In the course of these walks, Michelson so ingratiated himself to the President that Grant agreed to secure for him a free place at the U.S.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
The bright, ingratiating and charismatic Saqib is a servant’s son on the Atars’ country estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
The theory, perhaps, is that ingratiating themselves to the locals during this week's tune-ups might soften the vitriol which comes their way over the weekend.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
In person he’s ingratiating, charming, eager to please.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2024
Both show off Glaser’s gift for grabbing a subject, attacking it from every side, playing smart and dumb, ingratiating and insulting, going sweet or sour.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2024
He walked with an upright carriage, both ingratiating and defiant—but one shoulder was higher than the other.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
