grace

[ greys ]
/ greɪs /

noun

verb (used with object), graced, grac·ing.

to lend or add grace to; adorn: Many fine paintings graced the rooms of the house.
to favor or honor: to grace an occasion with one's presence.

Idioms for grace

Origin of grace

1125–75; Middle English < Old French < Latin grātia favor, kindness, esteem, derivative of grātus pleasing

historical usage of grace

¡Gracias! Grazie! When a Spanish or Italian speaker says thanks, they are invoking one of the meanings behind the word grace. That’s because grace, gracias, and grazie all descend from the same Latin word, grātia.
For the ancient Romans, grātia had three distinct meanings: (1) a pleasing quality, (2) favor or goodwill, and (3) gratitude or thanks. We find all three of these meanings in modern-day English. The first when we describe someone as having (or not having) grace: “Dancing, she had all the grace of an elephant on skates.” The second when we talk about giving or getting grace: “by the grace of God.” And the third when we say grace (i.e., “thanks”) at a meal.
So if you have something to be grateful for, you can say thank-you, grātia, gracias, or grazie. Just make sure you don’t give that something a coup de grâce.

popular references for grace


— Amazing Grace: A hymn written by English clergyman John Newton, who participated in the slave trade before finding religion.
— Grace: Jeff Buckley’s sole studio album, released in 1994, just three years before his early death.

OTHER WORDS FROM grace

grace·like, adjective un·graced, adjective

Quotations related to grace

  • "When a person expends the least amount of motion on one action, that is grace."
    -Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Complete Works and Letters in Thirty Volumes, Letters, vol. 8, p. 11, “Nauka” (1976)
  • "When a clergyman is present, he is asked to say grace, often after everyone is seated. But in the case of a friend, he should be asked in advance if he would like to say grace."
    -Nancy Tuckerman & Nancy Dunnan The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette (1995)

Words nearby grace

grabble, grabby, graben, gracchi, gracchus, grace, grace cup, grace note, grace period, grace-and-favor, grace-and-favour

British Dictionary definitions for in someone's good graces (1 of 3)

grace
/ (ɡreɪs) /

noun

verb

Word Origin for grace

C12: from Old French, from Latin grātia, from grātus pleasing

British Dictionary definitions for in someone's good graces (2 of 3)

Grace 1
/ (ɡreɪs) /

noun

(preceded by your, his, or her) a title used to address or refer to a duke, duchess, or archbishop

British Dictionary definitions for in someone's good graces (3 of 3)

Grace 2
/ (ɡreɪs) /

noun

W (illiam) G (ilbert). 1848–1915, English cricketer

Idioms and Phrases with in someone's good graces (1 of 2)

in someone's good graces

Also, in someone's good books; in the good graces of. In someone's favor or good opinion, as in Ruth is back in her mother's good graces, or Bill is anxious to get in the boss's good books, or She was always in the good graces of whoever happened to be in charge. The use of good grace dates from the 1400s, grace alluding to the condition of being favored; good books dates from the early 1800s. One antonym is out of someone's good graces, as in Walking out on his speech got him out of the professor's good graces. Another is in someone's bad graces.

Idioms and Phrases with in someone's good graces (2 of 2)

grace

see fall from grace; in someone's bad graces; in someone's good graces; saving grace; say grace; there but for the grace of god; with good grace.