ingratiate

verb

in·​gra·​ti·​ate in-ˈgrā-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce ingratiate (audio)
ingratiated; ingratiating

transitive verb

: to gain favor or favorable acceptance for by deliberate effort
usually used with with
ingratiate themselves with the community leadersWilliam Attwood
ingratiation noun
ingratiatory adjective

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The boys are in their late teens, and Jeff, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker, is eager to ingratiate himself with Blake, who will pick them up in a seaplane and take them to the lodge. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025 But this was something else: Inauguration seats closest to an incoming president tend to be reserved for a president’s family and figures in politics, and the tech executives on Trump’s dais have been hard at work ingratiating themselves into his universe. Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2025 Though his win-first, aggressive tactics didn’t ingratiate him to his team, Senna still won the Formula Ford series championship in his first year. Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024 The scene takes place in 2014, well away from the singularity of robot sentience, but at that point in Harrison’s compressed yet expansive drama, the idea of an artificial intelligence ingratiating itself into a human family already feels eerie. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ingratiate

Word History

Etymology

in- entry 2 + Latin gratia grace

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ingratiate was in 1621

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Cite this Entry

“Ingratiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingratiate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

ingratiate

verb
in·​gra·​ti·​ate in-ˈgrā-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce ingratiate (audio)
ingratiated; ingratiating
: to gain favor or acceptance for by deliberate effort
quickly ingratiated herself with her new pupils
ingratiation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ingratiate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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