Gratifying — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈgra-tə-ˌfī-iŋ/ grat·i·fy·ing

Meaning & Definition of Gratifying

Gratifying (adjective)

  1. giving pleasure or satisfaction, pleasing

Gratifying (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses

    "a spectacular film that is gratifying to both the mind and the eyes"

    similar: agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory, sweet, tasty, welcome
    related: alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, affable, amiable, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, genial, goodly, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful, felicific, glad, happy, joyous, elating, exhilarating, intoxicating, ecstatic, euphoric, nirvanic, rapturous
    opposite: disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome
    near: abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale, tedious, displeasing, dissatisfying, depressing, disheartening, dismal, dreary, gloomy, heartbreaking, heartrending, joyless, lachrymose, sad, unhappy, deplorable, doleful, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, regrettable, sorrowful, tragic, aggravating, annoying, exasperating, irritating, peeving, perturbing, vexing, forbidding, hostile, intimidating, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling, distressing, disturbing, upsetting

  2. making one feel good inside

    "your warm welcome sure is gratifying to this tired soul"

    similar: cheering, comforting, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, heartening, heartwarming, rewarding, satisfying
    related: affecting, inspiring, inspiriting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, edifying, elevating, uplifting, sympathetic, tender, kind, kindly, loving, warm, animating, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, invigorating, rousing, stimulating, thrilling, pleasing, pleasurable, welcoming
    opposite: demoralizing, depressing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
    near: cheerless, disappointing, disgruntling, displeasing, dissatisfying, heartbreaking, heartrending, saddening, discomforting, disconcerting, dismaying, distressing, disturbing, upsetting, cold, unfeeling, unfriendly, unkind, unloving, unpleasant

Gratifying (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give in to (a desire)

    "just gratify this one whim of mine"

    similar: catering (to), humoring, indulging
    related: basking, luxuriating, reveling, wallowing, coddling, mollycoddling, pampering, spoiling, delighting, pleasing, pleasuring, satiating, sating, satisfying
    near: bridling, checking, constraining, curbing, inhibiting, restraining, stifling

  2. to give satisfaction to

    "your presence at the holiday table would really gratify your grandmother"

    similar: agreeing (with), contenting, delighting, feasting, gassing (slang), gladdening, gladding (archaic), pleasing, pleasuring, rejoicing, satisfying, suiting, warming
    related: appeasing, mollifying, pacifying, placating, soothing, assuaging, quenching, satiating, sating, exciting, tickling, titillating, amusing, diverting, entertaining, treating, captivating, charming, galvanizing, thrilling, calming, comforting, catering (to), humoring, indulging, coddling, mollycoddling, pampering, spoiling
    opposite: displeasing
    near: aggravating, annoying, bothering, bugging, chafing, crossing, exasperating, galling, getting, grating, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, perturbing, piquing, putting out, ruffling, vexing, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling, roiling, steaming up, provoking, rousing, agitating, distressing, disturbing, fretting, upsetting, harassing, harrying, pestering, affronting, insulting, offending

Related Entry: Gratify (verb)

Gratify is a different word from Gratifying. The synonyms below are for gratify, not for gratifying.

  1. to give in to (a desire)

    "just gratify this one whim of mine"

    similar: cater (to), humor, indulge
    related: bask, luxuriate, revel, wallow, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil, delight, please, pleasure, sate, satiate, satisfy
    near: bridle, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, restrain, stifle

  2. to give satisfaction to

    "your presence at the holiday table would really gratify your grandmother"

    similar: agree (with), content, delight, feast, gas (slang), glad (archaic), gladden, please, pleasure, rejoice, satisfy, suit, warm
    related: appease, mollify, pacify, placate, soothe, assuage, quench, sate, satiate, excite, tickle, titillate, amuse, divert, entertain, treat, captivate, charm, galvanize, thrill, calm, comfort, cater (to), humor, indulge, coddle, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil
    opposite: displease
    near: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, cross, exasperate, gall, get, grate, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, perturb, pique, put out, ruffle, vex, anger, enrage, incense, inflame, infuriate, madden, outrage, rankle, rile, roil, steam up, provoke, rouse, agitate, distress, disturb, fret, upset, harass, harry, pester, affront, insult, offend

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Gratifying

The most common words with a similar meaning to Gratifying:

Slang: gassing
Archaic: gladding
agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory, sweet, tasty, welcome, cheering, comforting, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, heartening, heartwarming, rewarding, catering (to), humoring, indulging, agreeing (with)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Gratifying

Words with the opposite meaning of Gratifying:

disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome, demoralizing, depressing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, displeasing

Related Words for Gratifying

alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, affable, amiable, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, genial, goodly, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful

Near Antonyms of Gratifying

abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale

Word Forms of Gratifying

Derived words: gratifyingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Gratifying

First known use: circa 1611

Frequently Asked Questions about Gratifying

What does "Gratifying" mean?

"Gratifying" means giving pleasure or satisfaction, pleasing. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: giving pleasure or satisfaction, pleasing. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Gratifying"?

Other words for "Gratifying" include agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful and delightsome. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Gratifying" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Gratifying"?

There are 134 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Gratifying". Common alternatives include agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy and dulcet.

What is the opposite of "Gratifying"?

Antonyms of "Gratifying" include disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome, demoralizing, depressing and discouraging. Near antonyms include abominable, ghastly, god-awful and hellish.

How do you use "Gratifying" in a sentence?

Examples of "Gratifying" in a sentence: "a spectacular film that is gratifying to both the mind and the eyes"; "your warm welcome sure is gratifying to this tired soul"; "just gratify this one whim of mine".

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

"Gratifying" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Gratifying"?

"Gratifying" is pronounced /ˈgra-tə-ˌfī-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as grat·i·fy·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Gratifying"?

First known use: circa 1611.