Meaning & use

gracefully

adverb·Academic

In a smooth, elegant, and controlled way that shows physical or social poise.

See it in a sentence

The dancer moved gracefully across the stage, never losing her balance or rhythm.

She accepted the criticism gracefully, thanking the reviewer instead of arguing back.

A note on using this word

Gracefully applies to physical movement and to composed behavior under difficult social situations, such as losing or being criticized.

Words with a similar meaning

elegantlysmoothly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

clumsilyawkwardly

Make it your own

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