Meaning & use
graceful
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Moving in a smooth, attractive, and controlled way that looks effortless and pleasant to watch.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun (a graceful dancer) or after a linking verb (she is graceful). Comparative: more graceful, most graceful.
Patterns
- graceful movement
- be graceful
- as graceful as a ...
The ballet dancer made a graceful turn across the stage.
Despite his size, he was surprisingly graceful on the ice.
Her graceful walk caught everyone's attention at the party.
adjectivecomparable
Showing polite and calm behavior in a difficult social situation.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'a graceful exit' or 'graceful acceptance'.
Patterns
- graceful exit
- graceful acceptance
- be graceful about something
She made a graceful exit from the meeting after disagreeing with the boss.
He accepted the criticism in a graceful way, without arguing.
Losing the election, she gave a graceful speech thanking her supporters.
adjectivecomparable
Having a smooth, elegant shape or design.
Grammar: Describes objects, curves, or lines.
Patterns
- graceful curve
- graceful lines
- graceful design
The bridge has a graceful curve that fits the landscape.
The vase had graceful lines and a simple, elegant shape.
The building's graceful design won several awards.
Word forms
| comparative | more graceful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most graceful |
Common combinations
- graceful dancer
- She is a graceful dancer who never seems to make a wrong move.
- graceful movement
- The yoga instructor demonstrated a series of graceful movements.
- graceful exit
- He made a graceful exit before the argument got worse.
- graceful curve
- The road followed a graceful curve along the coast.
- as graceful as a swan
- On the water, she was as graceful as a swan.
Synonyms and how they differ
- elegant
- Suggests stylishness and good taste, often about appearance or design; graceful is more about smooth, natural movement.
- fluid
- Emphasizes smooth, continuous movement; graceful adds a sense of beauty and ease.
- poised
- Focuses on calm confidence and control, especially in social situations; graceful can also refer to physical movement.
Opposites
Word family
- gracefully adverb
- In a graceful way: She moved gracefully across the room.
- gracefulness noun
- The quality of being graceful.
- grace noun
- Smooth, attractive movement or polite behavior.
Commonly confused: graceful or gracious?
graceful vs gracious
Gracious means kind, polite, and generous, especially to guests; graceful is about smooth movement or elegant behavior.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'graceful' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Graceful' is an adjective describing smooth, attractive movement or behavior, so it fits before 'performance'. Option 0 describes a clumsy action, the opposite of graceful; option 2 uses it as an adverb; option 3 uses it as a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “graceful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.