Ingratiate
/ɪnˈɡreɪʃiˌeɪt/
verbC1
Definition
To ingratiate means to behave in a way that makes others like you, usually by being very polite, helpful, or friendly. People often do this because they want to be accepted or get something good from others, like a job or friendship.
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See It in Action
To try to gain favor by pleasing others
- •She tried to ingratiate herself with the new boss by working late.
- •Politicians often ingratiate themselves with voters before elections.
- •He ingratiated himself to the group by always helping with tasks.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'ingratiate' like 'please,' but with a purpose to get someone to like you or help you
- ✓Picture someone smiling a lot and saying nice things to a teacher to get a good grade
- ✓It's the feeling when you try hard to be liked by someone important to you
- ✓Sounds like 'in-GRAY-shee-ate' → Imagine someone putting on a gray suit to blend in and be accepted by a group
- ✓Think of a story where a character tries to win a king’s favor by always agreeing and offering gifts
- ✓NOT like 'like' (just feeling fondness), ingratiate is an action to cause others to like you by effort
- ✓NOT like 'force' (make someone do something), ingratiate is about gently winning trust and approval
- ✓NOT like 'friend' (natural relationship), ingratiate is often a careful or planned behavior to gain favor
Try Other Words
- •Flatter: to praise someone, often to get their approval (Use when the focus is on giving compliments)
- •Win over: to gain someone's support or friendship (Use when the goal is to get trust or support)
- •Butter up: informal phrase meaning to praise someone to get what you want (Use in casual situations)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: 'in-' means 'into' or 'toward'
- •Root: 'gratiate' comes from Latin 'gratus,' meaning 'pleasing' or 'thankful'
- •Etymology: From Latin 'ingratiari,' meaning to make oneself pleasing or acceptable
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to describe efforts to gain favor by pleasing others
- •Modern usage: Often used when someone tries to gain approval, sometimes with a negative idea of being too eager or fake
Reflect & Connect
•Can trying to ingratiate yourself ever be honest and kind, or is it always seen as fake?
•How do you feel when you notice someone is trying to ingratiate themselves with you? Does it change your opinion of them?
Fill in the blanks
1.She tried to ingratiate herself with her teacher by ___ extra homework and ___ helpful comments.
2.Politicians often ingratiate themselves ___ voters before elections to gain ___.
3.Unlike being naturally liked, ingratiate means to ___ others by careful actions or words.
4.When someone ingratiates themselves, they often ___ or compliment others to get ___.
5.He was careful not to ingratiate himself too much, because it might seem ___ or ___.
6.To ingratiate means to act in a way that makes others ___ you, usually to get ___.
7.If someone ingratiates themselves, you can often see they are trying to ___ your favor, not just be ___ friends.