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
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
View Comments Tech leaders have worked – and paid – to ingratiate themselves with the Trump administration, hoping to curry favor even if their relationships were more combative in his first term.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
The Florida governor sets an example for other red-state governors seeking to further ingratiate themselves with Trump.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
That said, other indoor events on inauguration weekend will go as planned, with a bevy of parties, balls and cocktail receptions planned for Trump’s ardent supporters and allies, as well as lobbying shops of corporations eager to ingratiate themselves with the new administration (see Coca-Cola).
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ingratiate
Cite this Entry
“Ingratiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratiate. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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ingratiate
verb
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