ingratiate
verb
William Attwood
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When you ingratiate yourself, you put yourself in someone’s good graces in order to gain their approval or favor. While the word ingratiate does not necessarily imply that your behavior is obsequious or otherwise improper, the word may be used disapprovingly by those who distrust your motives. The word entered English in the early 1600s from the combining of the Latin noun gratia, meaning “grace” or “favor,” with the English prefix in-. Gratia comes from the adjective gratus, meaning “pleasing, grateful.” Gratus has, over the centuries, ingratiated itself well with the English language as the ancestor of a whole host of words including gratuitous, congratulate, and grace.
Examples of ingratiate in a Sentence
Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Written and directed by Durga Chew-Bose, the film features a mesmerizing performance from Chloë Sevigny as the enigmatic old friend of the teenage heroine’s father who ingratiates herself into their idyllic summer in the south of France.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2024
When the ingratiating Abby attempts to smooth things over by making a comment about the wine, Greer snaps.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 5 Sep. 2024
Pumpkin spice has been so successful at ingratiating itself into American culture because of human nature, Lang said.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 31 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ingratiate 
Dictionary Entries Near ingratiate
Cite this Entry
“Ingratiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratiate. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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ingratiate
verb
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