Meaning & use

gracious

adjective·Academic

Kind, courteous, and pleasant, especially toward people of lower status or in a difficult situation.

See it in a sentence

Our host was gracious enough to let us stay an extra night when our flight was cancelled.

She gave a gracious speech thanking everyone who had supported her campaign.

A note on using this word

"Gracious" often implies warmth combined with good manners, especially when someone could have acted less kindly.

Words with a similar meaning

courteouskindgenial

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

Words with an opposite meaning

rudeungracious

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “gracious”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.