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
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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:
This was a way to further ingratiate himself to the man who called him “Johnny.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Ellison has spent months actively seeking to ingratiate himself with the Trump administration.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
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
He appeared to ingratiate himself into royal circles too, becoming a director of Pitch@Palace in 2016, and being appointed to the board of a royal charity, St George's House.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
The Steward was the superior, but the Butler had more opportunities to ingratiate himself with the Scholars, and made full use of them.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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
At first, this is thought to have ingratiated the group with some locals - but this was short-lived.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
I reasoned that if I somehow kept improving my English and ingratiated Mrs. Smith by the fact, then possibly she would give me more books like Treasure Island each time Granny took me along.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
To begin with, there’s its ingratiating style, leisurely but leavened with wit and chutzpah, as well as Fiedler’s pervasive disdain for the sentimental and ersatz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
He would begin a performance with Glass at the piano, bestowing an ingratiating quality of quiet pleasure on Ginsberg’s flowery imagery.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
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 ● Dec. 31, 2025
Thus far, he seems to have done a terrible job of ingratiating himself to others: Most recently, the office’s top criminal prosecutor resigned rather than follow his allegedly improper orders.
From Slate ● Feb. 20, 2025
I heard the alley door open and Willemse’s voice, smooth and ingratiating.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
