Dictionary

ingratiate

verb in·gra·ti·ate \in-ˈgrā-shē-ˌāt\

: to gain favor or approval for (yourself) by doing or saying things that people like

in·gra·ti·at·ed-at·ing

Full Definition of INGRATIATE

transitive verb
:  to gain favor or favorable acceptance for by deliberate effort —usually used with with <ingratiate themselves with the community leaders — William Attwood>
in·gra·ti·a·tion \-ˌgrā-shē-ˈā-shən\ noun
in·gra·tia·to·ry \-ˈgrā-sh(ē-)ə-ˌtr-ē\ adjective
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Origin of INGRATIATE

2in- + Latin gratia grace
First Known Use: 1621

Rhymes with INGRATIATE

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INGRATIATE Defined for Kids

ingratiate

verb in·gra·ti·ate \in-ˈgrā-shē-ˌāt\
in·gra·ti·at·edin·gra·ti·at·ing

Definition of INGRATIATE for Kids

:  to gain favor for by effort <He ingratiates himself with teachers by being helpful.>

Word Root of INGRATIATE

The Latin word gratus, meaning pleasing or thankful, gives us the root grat. Words from the Latin gratus have something to do with being pleasing or being thankful. To ingratiate yourself is to make others feel thankful for something you've done. To feel grateful is to feel thankful for something. Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness. To congratulate is to express how pleasing someone's success is.

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