ingratiation

American  

[in-grey-shee-ey-shuhn] / ɪnˌgreɪ ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of establishing oneself in the favor or good graces of someone, especially by deliberate effort in order to influence or manipulate.

   I struggle to free my store staff—and myself—from this constant dignity-sapping, servile ingratiation with customers.

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Etymology

Origin of ingratiation

ingrati(ate) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

What’s clear these days is that this edifice of ingratiation is shaky.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2022

Because Childress uses the play’s structure to express her theme, the ingratiation naturally comes first, and Charles Randolph-Wright’s lively staging leads with warmth and humor.

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2021

What begins as a backstage satire of white cluelessness and Black ingratiation gradually broadens and darkens into something far more mysterious: a peculiarly American tale of lost opportunity.

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2021

Bob is a unique figure in Hardy’s CV: he is basically likable and relatable, and Hardy’s face and style have always resisted this kind of ingratiation.

From The Guardian • May 14, 2020

And I think your partner, Mr. Tucker,' goes on Bill, 'is also a man of sufficient ingratiation and connected system of mental delinquency to assist you in securing the appointment.

From The Gentle Grafter by Greening, H. C.