Grace — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈgrās/

Meaning & Definition of Grace

Grace (noun)

  1. ease and fluidity of movement or manner
  2. a pleasing appearance or effect, charm
  3. sense of propriety or right

Grace (verb)

  1. to confer dignity or honor on
  2. adorn, embellish

Grace (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an act of kind assistance

    "in Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables, Jean Valjean's decision to go to jail for the man mistaken for him is a grace that goes beyond thanks"

    similar: benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, indulgence, kindness, mercy, service, turn
    related: dispensation, waiver, advantage, benefit, blessing, godsend, manna, liberty, license, privilege
    near: hindrance, hurdle, impediment, interference, obstacle

  2. dignified or restrained beauty of form, appearance, or style

    "a beautiful actress who was the epitome of grace during her too-brief career"

    similar: class, classiness, courtliness, elegance, elegancy, fineness, gracefulness, handsomeness, majesty, refinement, stateliness
    related: augustness, brilliance, gloriousness, glory, grandeur, grandness, lavishness, luxuriance, luxuriousness, luxury, magnificence, nobility, nobleness, opulence, ornateness, plushiness, plushness, resplendence, resplendency, richness, splendor, sumptuousness, artfulness, chic, polish, sophistication, taste, tastefulness, choiceness, classicism, dignity, exquisiteness, restraint, simplicity, affectedness, grandiosity, ostentation, ostentatiousness, pretentiousness, showiness
    opposite: gracelessness, inelegance
    near: coarseness, crudeness, flamboyance, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, grotesqueness, grotesquerie, kitsch, tastelessness, tawdriness, vulgarity

  3. a quality that gives something special worth

    "as if taste were not enough, red wine has the added grace of being healthy for the heart"

    similar: cardinal virtue, distinction, excellence, excellency, merit, value, virtue
    related: advantage, edge, plus, superiority
    opposite: deficiency, demerit, disvalue
    near: blemish, defect, failing, fault, flaw, drawback, minus, negative

Grace (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming

    "I hope that you will grace our gathering with your presence"

    similar: adorn, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, deck, decorate, do, do up, doll up, drape, dress, embellish, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, festoon, garnish, glitz (up), gussy up, ornament, pretty (up), trim
    related: accessorize, dress up, trap, trick (out), brighten, freshen, smarten, spruce (up), boss, chase, braid, embroider, feather, figure, filigree, fillet, flounce, frill, fringe, furbelow, garland, hang, lace, ribbon, swag, wreathe, appliqué, gild, paint, diamond, gem, impearl, jewel, pearl, redecorate, redo
    opposite: blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil
    near: simplify, streamline, bare, denude, dismantle, display, divest, expose, reveal, strip, uncover, uglify

Related Entry: Coup de grace (noun)

Coup de grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for coup de grace, not for grace.

  1. something (as a fact or argument) that is decisive or overwhelming

    "the prosecutor presented his coupe de grâce—a videotape of the beating"

    similar: capper, clincher, crusher, topper, ace in the hole
    related: confutation, deathblow, knockout, determinant, factor

Related Entry: Fall from grace (phrase)

Fall from grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for fall from grace, not for grace.

  1. to commit an offense

    "Once a successful entrepreneur, he fell from grace when accounts of his unethical business practices were revealed."

    similar: err, fall, offend, sin, stray, transgress, trespass, wander, break the law
    related: breach, break, infringe, violate, backslide, lapse, mess up
    near: forgive, justify, pardon, regret, repent, rue

Related Entry: Fallen from grace (phrase)

Fallen from grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for fallen from grace, not for grace.

  1. to commit an offense

    "Once a successful entrepreneur, he fell from grace when accounts of his unethical business practices were revealed."

    similar: erred, fallen, offended, sinned, strayed, transgressed, trespassed, wandered, broken the law
    related: breached, broken, infringed, violated, backslid, lapsed, messed up
    near: forgiven, justified, pardoned, regretted, repented, rued

Related Entry: Fell from grace (phrase)

Fell from grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for fell from grace, not for grace.

  1. to commit an offense

    "Once a successful entrepreneur, he fell from grace when accounts of his unethical business practices were revealed."

    similar: erred, fell, offended, sinned, strayed, transgressed, trespassed, wandered, broke the law
    related: breached, broke, infringed, violated, backslid, lapsed, messed up
    near: forgave, justified, pardoned, regretted, repented, rued

Related Entry: Coups de grace (noun)

Coups de grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for coups de grace, not for grace.

  1. something (as a fact or argument) that is decisive or overwhelming

    "the prosecutor presented his coupe de grâce—a videotape of the beating"

    similar: cappers, clinchers, crushers, toppers, aces in the hole
    related: confutations, deathblows, knockouts, determinants, factors

Related Entry: Falls from grace (phrase)

Falls from grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for falls from grace, not for grace.

  1. to commit an offense

    "Once a successful entrepreneur, he fell from grace when accounts of his unethical business practices were revealed."

    similar: errs, falls, offends, sins, strays, transgresses, trespasses, wanders, breaks the law
    related: breaches, breaks, infringes, violates, backslides, lapses, messes up
    near: forgives, justifies, pardons, regrets, repents, rues

Related Entry: Falling from grace (phrase)

Falling from grace is a different word from Grace. The synonyms below are for falling from grace, not for grace.

  1. to commit an offense

    "Once a successful entrepreneur, he fell from grace when accounts of his unethical business practices were revealed."

    similar: erring, falling, offending, sinning, straying, transgressing, trespassing, wandering, breaking the law
    related: breaching, breaking, infringing, violating, backsliding, lapsing, messing up
    near: forgiving, justifying, pardoning, regretting, repenting, ruing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grace

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grace:

benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, indulgence, kindness, mercy, service, turn, class, classiness, courtliness, elegance, elegancy, fineness, gracefulness, handsomeness, majesty, refinement, stateliness, cardinal virtue, distinction, excellence, excellency, merit, value, virtue, adorn, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, deck, decorate, do, do up, doll up, drape

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grace

Words with the opposite meaning of Grace:

gracelessness, inelegance, deficiency, demerit, disvalue, blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil

Related Words for Grace

dispensation, waiver, advantage, benefit, blessing, godsend, manna, liberty, license, privilege, augustness, brilliance, gloriousness, glory, grandeur, grandness, lavishness, luxuriance, luxuriousness, luxury, magnificence, nobility, nobleness, opulence, ornateness, plushiness, plushness, resplendence, resplendency, richness

Near Antonyms of Grace

hindrance, hurdle, impediment, interference, obstacle, coarseness, crudeness, flamboyance, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, grotesqueness, grotesquerie, kitsch, tastelessness, tawdriness, vulgarity, defect, failing, fault, flaw, drawback, minus, negative, simplify, streamline, bare, denude, dismantle

Word Forms of Grace

Inflections: graced, gracing

Origin & Etymology of Grace

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin gratia favor, charm, thanks, from gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Sanskrit gṛṇāti he praises

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Grace

Words & Phrases Containing Grace

grace note, grace period, grace with one's presence, coup de grace, fall from grace, saving grace, year of grace, de bonne grace

Frequently Asked Questions about Grace

What does "Grace" mean?

"Grace" means ease and fluidity of movement or manner. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: ease and fluidity of movement or manner. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grace"?

Other words for "Grace" include benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, indulgence, kindness, mercy and service. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grace" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grace"?

There are 143 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grace". Common alternatives include benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, indulgence, kindness, mercy, service, turn and class.

What is the opposite of "Grace"?

Antonyms of "Grace" include gracelessness, inelegance, deficiency, demerit, disvalue, blemish, deface and disfigure. Near antonyms include hindrance, hurdle, impediment and interference.

How do you use "Grace" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grace" in a sentence: "in Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables, Jean Valjean's decision to go to jail for the man mistaken for him is a grace that goes beyond thanks"; "a beautiful actress who was the epitome of grace during her too-brief career"; "as if taste were not enough, red wine has the added grace of being healthy for the heart".

Is "Grace" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grace" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Grace" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Grace" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Grace"?

"Grace" is pronounced /ˈgrās/.