gratify

grat·i·fy
G2R1A1T1I1F4Y4
/ˈɡrætɪfaɪ/

verb

To please.

“gratify the voters”

Similar
happifygladdenbeatifyenrapturebegladdenblissenbrightcheer
Opposite
angerdisquietflusterdiscontentdissatisfy
OriginFrench gratifier ← Latin grātificō →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Word of the Day · Mar 17, 2025

Meanings

verbgratify (third-person singular simple present gratifies, present participle gratifying, simple past and past participle gratified)

present singular third person gratifies · participle present gratifying · participle past gratified · past gratified

  1. transitiveTo please.

    Synonyms: happify, gladden, beatify, enrapture, begladden, blissen, bright, cheer · Antonyms: anger, disquiet, fluster

  2. transitiveTo make content; to satisfy.

    gratify the voters

    1 more example

    gratify the critics

    Synonyms: conciliate, placate, abound, amuse, appease, assuage, captivate, cater · Antonyms: discontent, dissatisfy

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo please.

Similar
happifygladdenbeatifyenrapturebegladdenblissenbrightcheerfetchcheer upcherishcontentdelightelateelevateenblissexhilaratefaingaygladden
Opposite
angerdisquietfluster

verbTo make content; to satisfy.

Similar
conciliateplacateaboundamuseappeaseassuagecaptivatecatercloycompensateconciliatedelightelateentertainexuberatefascinatefillflatterfulfill
Opposite
discontentdissatisfy

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake happy or satisfied

Similar
satisfy
Broader
changealtermodify

verbyield (to); give satisfaction to

Similar
panderindulge
Broader
providesupplyply
Also see
amusegladdenindulgepanderpleasuresatisfy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latingrātificō“to do a favor to, oblige, please, gratify”
  2. Frenchgratifier
  3. Englishgratify

From French gratifier, from Latin grātificō (“to do a favor to, oblige, please, gratify”), from grātus (“kind, pleasing”) + faciō (“to make”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian задоволявам, удовлетворявам
  • задоволявам (zadovoljavam)to please
  • удовлетворявам (udovletvorjavam)to please
  • доставям удоволствие (dostavjam udovolstvie)to make content, satisfy
Catalan gratificar, gratificar
  • gratificarto please
  • gratificarto make content, satisfy
Chinese Mandarin 使/讓（……）高興 /使/让（……）高兴, 使/讓（……）滿足 /使/让（……）满足
  • 使/讓（……）高興 /使/让（……）高兴to please
  • 使/讓（……）滿足 /使/让（……）满足to make content, satisfy
Finnish ilahduttaa, miellyttää
  • ilahduttaato please
  • miellyttääto please
  • tyydyttääto make content, satisfy
French gratifier, gratifier
  • gratifierto please
  • gratifierto make content, satisfy
Japanese 満足させる, 満たす
  • 満足させる (manzoku saseru)to make content, satisfy
  • 満たす (mitasu)to make content, satisfy
Latin iuvo
  • iuvoto please
Māori whakawaireka, whakawaireka
  • whakawairekato please
  • whakawairekato make content, satisfy
  • whakatūtatakito make content, satisfy
Portuguese gratificar, gratificar
  • gratificarto please
  • gratificarto make content, satisfy
Russian угожда́ть, угоди́ть
  • угожда́ть (ugoždátʹ)to please
  • угоди́ть (ugodítʹ)to please
  • ублажа́ть (ublažátʹ)to please
  • ублажи́ть (ublažítʹ)to please
  • удовлетворя́ть (udovletvorjátʹ)to make content, satisfy
  • удовлетвори́ть (udovletvorítʹ)to make content, satisfy
Swedish tillfredsställa
  • tillfredsställato make content, satisfy
Cite this entry
APA

gratify. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratify

MLA

“gratify.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratify. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gratify,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gratify.

Source: gratify on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.